Permanent Solution to Hypertension?

Hypertension, which occurs when the blood pressure in your arteries is too high, can lead to blood vessel diseases such as strokes, heart attacks, and leg pain caused during walking. As hypertension does not cause any symptoms until the damage is already done, it is important to occasionally have your blood pressure checked.

Hypertension has no permanent solution. However, it is usually managed with both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods.

Treatment begins with reducing or eliminating risk factors.

Lifestyle modification can control hypertension and enhance the effects of drug treatment.

The usual dietary recommendations are to restrict sodium intake to 2 g/day, to increase potassium intake, to restrict saturated fat intakes, and to adjust calorie intake as required to maintain optimum weight.

An exercise program that promotes endurance and relaxation is usually recommended.

Physical training

It increases stroke volume, which has the effect of lowering heart rate and hence systolic blood pressure.

Relaxation

It is expected to reduce levels of circulating catecholamines which has the effect of reducing vascular tones and blood pressure.

Cessation of smoking

To eliminate vasoconstrictor effects of nicotine

Medication

Four group of drugs are used to manage hypertension in a tailored therapy approach:

1. Diuretics

2. Angiotensin inhibitors

3. Vascular smooth muscle relaxants

4. Adrenergic blockers.

Other Therapies & Advice
Check for metabolic syndrome

If you are male, overweight, have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, and perhaps even have insulin resistance or diabetes, you probably have metabolic syndrome. This is often caused by a low testosterone level (even if it is in the low normal range, for example a total testosterone level of 450), and simply taking natural testosterone (by prescription) can reverse all of the above problems while leaving you feeling much better!

Check for sleep apnea

Consider this if you're overweight and snore.

Check for allergies

Food allergies can also trigger high blood pressure. If your pulse or temperature regularly go up after you eat, consider allergy desensitization using NAET. To see if food allergies are causing your high blood pressure, consider a Multiple Food Elimination Diet to see if your pressure goes down. (See online references below.)

White coat hypertension

Make sure you don’t only have "white coat hypertension." Some people's blood pressure shoots up whenever they see a doctor. For many people, this is the only time their blood pressure goes up, so they end up being treated for high blood pressure when they don't have it. Many grocery store and drugstore pharmacies have a blood pressure machine for the public which you can use (you actually sit in it). Check three readings each visit (one right after the other) to make sure that they are consistent. After you get used to the blood pressure machines, you may find that your blood pressures are lower.

Blow off some steam

Don't forget the mind/body component. Some of us are like pressure cookers, and when we close down our "steam release valve" the pressure builds up inside of us. We may look calm on the outside but actually have high blood pressure on the inside. Give yourself permission to have a good hissy fit once in awhile to blow off steam. It can help your elevated blood pressure to come down.

Living location is a Factor in Hypertension

Study Shows High Blood Pressure Incidence Is Linked to Location, Gender, and Race

By Katrina Woznicki
Reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC

Race, place, and gender appear to be strongly associated with high blood pressure, a major risk for heart disease and stroke, according to new data.

A 20-year study involving more than 3,400 young, initially healthy adults in four urban areas found that the risk of developing high blood pressure was higher in the South compared to the North; hypertension rates were highest in African-American women and lowest in white women.

Understanding which regions and populations are at greatest risk could help experts target better interventions for these groups.

Researchers led by Deborah A. Levine, MD, MPH, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. This study included information on black and white men and women who were between the ages of 18 and 30 during 1985 and 1986, when the study began, and who lived in Birmingham, Ala.; Chicago; Minneapolis, Minn.; or Oakland, Calif.

The participants were followed for the next 20 years to see who developed high blood pressure. The groups were matched for race, gender, and initial health status.

Even after taking account many of the lifestyle factors that are known to contribute to high blood pressure -- such as obesity, smoking, family history, and physical activity -- geography, race, and gender were still independently associated with a higher incidence of high blood pressure.

Tracking Blood Pressure by Geography, Race, and Gender

Among the researchers’ findings:

* High blood pressure was more likely to affect African-Americans compared with whites, and the highest rates were seen in African-American women. By the end of the study, 37.6% of African-American women and 34.5% of African-American men had developed hypertension, whereas the rates were lower in white men at 21.4% and lowest among white women at 12.3%.

* Birmingham, Ala., had the highest incidence of hypertension at 33.6% and Minneapolis, Minn., had the lowest at 19%. High blood pressure incidence was 27.4% in Oakland, Calif., and 23.4% in Chicago.

The results are published in the January 2011 issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Cardiovascular disease-related deaths dropped by 65% between 1968 and 2006. Heart disease, however, remains the most common cause of death, and there are pockets of the U.S. as well as certain groups of people in which the risk for cardiovascular disease remains high. According to the American Heart Association, based on 2006 data, more than 81 million people in the U.S. have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease; more than 73 million have high blood pressure.

Researchers have questioned whether socioeconomic factors play a role in cardiovascular disease risk and why disparities in cardiovascular disease rates exist between geographical regions and groups of people. Levine and her colleagues note that high blood pressure may account for up to 44% of the cardiovascular disease disparity between whites and African-Americans.

“Where you live, your race, and your gender strongly influence your risk of developing high blood pressure as you move from young adulthood into middle age -- and hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke,” Levine says in a news release. “The gaps may be widening, particularly for blacks. The reasons for the variations are not clear.”

Until more is known, Levine says, “People at higher risk can benefit from close monitoring of their blood pressure and paying attention to risk factors such as obesity and [lack of] physical activity.”

source: webmd

Prehypertension, Prediabetes Predict Heart Risk

1 in 3 Healthy Adults Has Prehypertension, 1 in 4 Has Prediabetes

Prehypertension and prediabetes, especially when they occur together, are early warning signs of heart disease in seemingly healthy adults, according to new research presented at the American Society of Hypertension's 25th annual meeting in New York.

"This is a clear, present, and preventable danger," says study researcher Alok K. Gupta, MD, an assistant professor at the Pennington Center Biomedical Research Center of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, during a news conference.

Two out of three sudden deaths occur in people who have not been diagnosed with heart disease, and the new study may provide important clues on how to identify these individuals before it is too late, he says.

Prehypertension and Prediabetes

Prehypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure reading between 120 and 139 and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89. Systolic blood pressure is the upper number in a blood pressure measurement and refers to the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure, the lower number, is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. A blood pressure reading of less than 120/80 is considered ideal.

Prediabetes refers to blood sugar (glucose) levels between 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Ideal fasting blood levels should be less than 100 mg/dL.

According to Gupta, one in three seemingly healthy people has prehypertension, and one in four has prediabetes. One in 10 has both of these conditions.

Individuals with both prehypertension and prediabetes are also more likely to be obese, have high levels of markers of systemic inflammation, and high insulin levels compared to their counterparts without these two "pre" conditions. These individuals also had high total cholesterol levels, high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, high levels of dangerous blood fats called triglycerides, and low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol, when compared to their counterparts who did not have prediabetes or prehypertension, the study showed.

The good news is that these conditions are easily identified, Gupta says. Testing for prediabetes involves a finger stick test for blood glucose levels, and resting blood pressure measurement can identify those individuals with prehypertension, he explains.

"If you have both, you must initiate lifestyle changes," he tells WebMD. "Losing about 7% of your body weight is known to help, and so is incorporating 150 minutes of exercise a week," he says. "If implemented and followed, this will reverse the subtle danger that exists."

Lifestyle Changes

George Bakris, MD, a professor of medicine and the director of the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago, puts it this way: "If you have prediabetes, it's the fire, and prehypertension is the gasoline that's added to the fire."

Unfortunately, "doctors don't tell patients they have prediabetes. They say, 'You are at risk for diabetes', so you need to ask, 'What is my fasting blood sugar?'" says Bakris, the president-elect of the American Society of Hypertension.

"If it is in the triple digits, you have a problem. You better lose weight, exercise, and reduce your carbohydrate intake or you will get diabetes," says Bakris.

Genes play a role in diabetes risk, but changing your life can help significantly forestall the seemingly inevitable, he says.

"If both of your parents have diabetes, you are at high risk, but if you do all the lifestyle stuff, you will buy yourself at least a decade, which is a big deal," he tells WebMD.

source: webmd

Bariatric Surgery May Reduce Risk for Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

Bariatric surgery may reduce risk for hypertensive disorders in subsequent pregnancy, according to the results of a retrospective analysis of US insurance claims data published online April 13 in the British Medical Journal.

"Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are increasing in prevalence, even more so now with the increasing rates of obesity," Amitasrigowri S. Murthy, MD, MPH, FACOG, director of reproductive choice, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York City, told Medscape Ob/Gyn & Women's Health when asked for independent comment. "Obesity is related to multiple medical problems and is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, as are hypertensive disorders of pregnancy."

The goal of this retrospective cohort study, by Wendy L. Bennett, MD, and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, was to determine whether women who had a delivery after bariatric surgery had lower rates of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy than women who had a delivery before bariatric surgery.

"Any intervention that decreases obesity would be successful in decreasing hypertensive disorders, but most interventions are not successful or are successful only temporarily," said Dr. Murthy, who is also assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine. "Bariatric surgery is now considered the most effective treatment available for obesity. With this decrease in weight, other comorbidities decrease in prevalence, particularly hypertensive disorders. Decrease in weight in women could also be associated with decreased numbers of adverse outcomes in pregnancy."

Using claims data for 2002 to 2006 from 7 US insurance plans, the investigators identified 585 women aged 16 to 45 years who had undergone bariatric surgery, had at least 1 pregnancy and delivery, and had continuous insurance coverage during pregnancy plus 2 weeks after delivery. The primary study endpoint was hypertensive disorders in pregnancy identified from International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Ninth Edition, codes, and the independent variable was the timing of delivery — before vs after bariatric surgery. For each type of hypertensive disorder in pregnancy, odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated from logistic regression.

Of the 585 participants, 269 delivered before bariatric surgery and 316 delivered after surgery. Most women (82%; 477) had gastric bypass surgery. Compared with women who delivered after surgery, those who delivered before surgery were younger at delivery (mean age, 31.3 vs 32.5 years; P < .002) and had higher rates of preexisting diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus.

After adjustment for age at delivery, multiple pregnancy (twins or more), surgical procedure, preexisting diabetes, and insurance plan, rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were markedly lower in women who delivered after surgery than in those who delivered before surgery. For preeclampsia and eclampsia, OR was 0.20 (95% CI, 0.09 - 0.44); for chronic hypertension complicating pregnancy, OR was 0.39 (95% CI, 0.20 - 0.74); and for gestational hypertension, OR was 0.16 (95% CI, 0.07 - 0.37).

"Any intervention that could decrease adverse perinatal outcomes, particularly in the preconception period, is welcome," Dr. Murthy said. "This study clearly shows that a decrease in weight caused by surgery leads to a decrease in prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy."

Strengths of this study cited by Dr. Murthy include its design and use of a large claims database from all over the country, allowing better generalizability to women with obesity and concerns regarding hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

"While a retrospective study, the design seems to be the best way to answer this question; picking other control groups may introduce other confounders that may skew the results," Dr. Murthy said. "The authors also included claims for both inpatient as well as outpatient care. This allowed for inclusion of assessments that may have impacted prenatal care and delivery information."

Limitations noted by Dr. Murthy include the inability to confirm information in the medical record, such as body mass index and other clinical factors needed to confirm the diagnosis of either obesity or hypertensive disorder, because the data were from a claims database.

"While data seem to suggest that discharge diagnosis is correct about half the time, there still remains a chance that incorrect coding may impact the results," Dr. Murthy said. "Neither is there included a way to connect the neonatal information about the delivery, nor is there a way to know if there were complications to the neonate arising from either the hypertensive disorder or the surgery."

In terms of further research, Dr. Murthy recommends long-term follow-up of mothers undergoing bariatric surgery before delivery to evaluate health-related and other quality-of-life issues and long-term weight management.

"Additional studies need to be done to ensure that there exists no adverse neonatal outcome, particularly as gastric bypass surgery is often associated with nutritional deficiencies in the mother," Dr. Murthy said. "Long-term follow up of those children delivered after surgery should be done to ensure no other developmental effects on infant growth."

The study authors point out the important clinical, public health, and policy implications of their findings. They suggest considering bariatric surgery in women of childbearing age who wish to start a family and who have a body mass index of 40 kg/m2or more, or a body mass index of 35 to 40 kg/m2 with associated conditions.

"The preconception visit is a vitally important one — it can lead to improved health in all women attempting pregnancy," Dr. Murthy concluded. "Addressing weight concerns at this visit, while not easy for both patient and provider, can lead to improved health outcomes for both mother and neonate. This is difficult, however, as over half of pregnancies occurring in the US are unplanned."

The data set used in this study was created for a research project on the patterns of obesity care within selected BlueCross BlueShield plans. The original development of the data set was supported by unrestricted research grants from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline. The study authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Dr. Murthy is on the speaker board for Schering Plough as a trainer for Implanon, but otherwise has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

source: medscape

Hypertension Linked to Dementia in Older Women

Older women with hypertension are at increased risk for developing brain lesions that cause dementia later in life, according to data from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS). The findings were published in the December 2009 online issue of the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

The research was conducted as part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the largest multi-site longitudinal study looking at health risks among postmenopausal women. WHIMS, which involves a subgroup of the women enrolled in WHI, looks at the influence of hormone therapy on thinking and memory. All the women in WHIMS were 65 or older.

Upon enrolling in the trial and annually during their participation in it, the women had their blood pressure measured and underwent tests to measure their cognitive ability. Some of the WHIMS participants – 1,403 of them – also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 14 U.S. academic centers in 2005 and 2006. All of these women were free of dementia when they enrolled. Examination of the data on these 1,403 women was led by Lewis H. Kuller, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the University of Pittsburgh, in conjunction with researchers at other WHI centers, including Dr. Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and population health and the Dorothy and William Manealoff Foundation & Molly Rosen Chair in Social Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Wassertheil-Smoller is also the principal investigator of Einstein’s WHI and WHIMS studies.

The MRI studies revealed that women who, on entry to the WHIMS trial, had elevated blood pressure (defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, or being on antihypertensive drug therapy), had significantly higher amounts of white matter lesions (WMLs) when they underwent MRIs eight years later. Normal blood pressure is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120 or less and a diastolic pressure of 80 or less.

“Based on our findings, we would encourage women to maintain their blood pressure at normal levels, which may reduce their risk of dementia,” says study co-author Dr. Wassertheil-Smoller.

The small blood vessels in the brain are especially susceptible to damage from even moderately elevated blood pressure – resulting in damage to the white matter served by those vessels. The brain’s white matter is composed of whitish myelin-coated axons (nerve cell appendages) that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other and help the regions of the brain work together. Several studies have found that damage to white matter, as indicated by the presence of WMLs, seems to be an independent risk factor for dementia.

The current study reinforces earlier research showing that hypertension plays a role in causing dementia, suggesting that preventing hypertension from developing – through weight loss, exercise or other lifestyle changes – would be beneficial.

“However, we don’t know whether hypertension treatment will prevent WMLs from developing, or how much blood pressure should be lowered so that these brain lesions won’t occur,” says Dr. Wassertheil-Smoller. “We do have suggestive evidence that the progression of WMLs can be slowed by anti-hypertensive therapy.”

“Nonetheless,” she adds, “it would be prudent for women to keep their blood pressure low, and the earlier in life they start doing so, the better. At present, keeping blood pressure at normal levels is probably the most effective way we know of to prevent dementia from occurring.” According to baseline data on more than 98,705 women ages 50-79 who enrolled in the WHI study, 37.8% had hypertension, which is defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or being on medication for high blood pressure; 64.3% of the hypertensive women were treated with drugs, and blood pressure was controlled in only 36.1% of the hypertensive women, with lower rates of control in the oldest group.

Dr. Wassertheil-Smoller notes that high blood pressure is also a major risk factor for stroke, “so it is certainly not good for the brain.” She says that further clinical trials are needed to better establish whether anti-hypertensive therapy can prevent or slow WMLs, and, if so, to find the specific drug therapies that work best.

The study, "Relationship of Hypertension, Blood Pressure (BP) and BP Control with White Matter Abnormalities in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) MRI Study," was published in the December 16 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. Other contributors include: Karen L. Margolis, M.D., Health Partners Research Foundation, Minneapolis, Minn.; Sarah A. Jaramillo, M.S. and Jeff Williamson, M.D., Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Nick R. Bryan, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Penn.; Diana Kerwin, M.D., Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.; Marian Limacher, M.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.; and Jennifer G. Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Healthy Diet May Lower Kidney Stone, Hypertension Risk

A federally promoted diet to control hypertension may also lower the risk of kidney stones, a new study suggests.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet—which is encouraged by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute—advises low sodium intake and consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low- and nonfat dairy products, fish, and poultry, and discourages consumption of red meat and sugar.

A team led by Eric N. Taylor, MD, of the Channing Laboratory in Boston, examined the effect of a DASH-style diet on stone risk in three large prospective studies: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), which included 45,821 men aged 40 to 75 years and had 18 years of follow-up; the Nurses' Health Study I (NHS I), which included 94,108 women aged 30-55 years at enrollment and had 18 years of follow-up; and the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II), which included 101,837 women aged 25-42 at enrollment and had 14 years of follow-up. The investigators constructed a DASH score based on high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, and low intake of sodium, sweetened beverages, and red and processed meats.

A total of 5,645 kidney stones occurred during a combined 50 years of follow-up. Subjects with higher DASH scores had higher intakes of calcium, potassium, magnesium, oxalate, and vitamin C and lower intakes of sodium. Compared with HPFS subjects in the lowest quintile of DASH score, those in the highest quintile had a 45% reduced risk of kidney stones after adjusting for age, BMI, fluid intake, hypertension, diabetes and other potential confounders, according to a report in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2009;20:2253-2259). Among subjects in NHS I (older women) and NHS II (younger women), those in the highest quintile had a 42% and 40% reduced risk of kidney stones compared with the lowest quintile.

The consistent association between consumption of a DASH-style diet and a reduced risk of kidney stones in all three cohorts “is remarkable” in light of previous studies showing substantial differences in individual dietary factors and stone risk between men, older women, and younger women.

The researchers cited previous studies demonstrating that animal protein intake was associated with a higher risk of kidney stones in men but not women, and potassium intake was strongly associated with a reduced stone risk in men and older women, but not younger women.

Although most of the stones that occurred in the study populations were likely calcium oxalate stones, Dr. Taylor and his colleagues noted, a DASH-style diet could also decrease the risk of other stone types. “By decreasing uric acid production and increasing urinary pH, reducing consumption of animal flesh may decrease the risk of uric acid stones,” they stated. “Higher intake of fruits and vegetables also may raise urine pH and reduce the risk of uric acid crystal formation.”

The higher oxalate content of the DASH-style diet—the result of increased intake of fruits, vegetables, and nuts—may increase urinary oxalate, a major risk factor for calcium oxalate stone formation. Consumption of fruits and vegetables, however, also raises urinary citrate, an important inhibitor of calcium stones, the investigators explained. In addition, the higher calcium content of the DASH-style diet may minimize any adverse effect of higher oxalate intake.

“Although we think it reasonable for calcium oxalate stone formers with high levels of urinary oxalate to avoid intake of some individual foods very high in oxalate (such as spinach and almonds), our data do not support the common practice of dietary oxalate restriction in calcium stone formers, particularly if such advice results in lower intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,” they wrote.

source: renalandurologynews

Fructose-Heavy Diet Raises Blood Pressure And Hypertension

Study Finds Sweet Diet Raises Men's Blood Pressure

A small study is among the first to show that regular consumption of fructose-heavy foods and drinks might raise blood pressure—at least in men, Bloomberg reports. The federally funded study of 74 middle-aged men found that after two weeks, those on a high-fructose diet saw an average 5 percent increase in their blood pressure.

Researchers also found that a treatment for gout, a condition caused by too much uric acid in the blood, helped stop the rise in blood pressure. "We're not ready to lower uric acid as a means to lower blood pressure," study author Richard Johnson said. For now, he told Bloomberg, the best precautionary measure is to avoid overconsumption of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Results were presented at an annual American Heart Association conference on high blood pressure.

Experts Offer Solutions for Stress, Hypertension and Obesity

Bruce Johnson was chatting with drug dealers who were showing him their battle wounds. It was a typical day for the local TV reporter and anchor.

Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Scripps Howard Foundation Wire - Rushing to finish his story on deadline back at WUSA-9, Johnson had a heart attack.

"I know something about stress," said Johnson, who moderated a discussion about the issue at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center on Monday.

About 150 people gathered to hear experts discuss links between stress, high blood pressure and obesity.

Since his emergency angioplasty, Johnson, a reporter for more than 30 years, said he has tried to stay healthy and avoid stress. He runs 25 miles a week and has completed a marathon.

"I'm looking for ways to keep me a productive citizen so I don't have to see you guys," Johnson said. He has written a book, "Heart to Heart," that tells the story of 12 people who have endured heart attacks.

"Stress can lead to dire consequences if it is not managed," said Dr. Howard Federoff, executive dean of the Georgetown School of Medicine. "It is ubiquitous and pervasive and we have to understand how to regulate it."

Dr. Zofia Zukowaska, chair of the physiology and biophysics department, said stress can lead to obesity because, unlike animals, humans tend to seek comfort in food.

"After a zebra is chased by a lion, it's not thinking about McDonalds," Zukowaska said. "If we replenish with healthy food it would be fine; however, we commonly seek comfort strategies that are not healthy."

She said that people in low-income communities under lots of stress tend to gravitate toward junk food because it is cheap, and fewer stores sell healthy food.

Salt intake also plays a significant roll in hypertension, said Dr. Christopher Wilcox, director of the Center for Hypertension, Kidney and Vascular Health.

"The amount salt we consume is tenfold higher than what we are supposed to, evolutionarily," Wilcox said. Cola and beer manufacturers are trying to prevent the government from reducing the amount of salt in foods, which could lead to people drinking less of their products, he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Hypertension, which affects 73 million people in the U.S., is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

The doctors on the panel agreed that lack of sleep also plays a significant roll in stress and weight management.

"Sleeplessness and disruptions in sleep are factors that work against staying healthy, your weight and cardiovascular system," Zukowaska said. She said restlessness can lead to overeating at night and improper digestion.

"It's not just about sleep, but quality of sleep," Wilcox said. "If your blood pressure is not dipping in your sleep, it can raise your risk of a heart attack and stroke."

The doctors offered solutions for lowering stress and preventing hypertension.

Zukowska suggested replacing a bad habit with a good one, including relaxing activities like gardening.

Aside from regular exercise and a healthy diet, the doctors insisted on a healthy mentality to prevent and cope with illness.

Wilcox called on the audience, which included the wives of several ambassadors, to help with research to combat hypertension and its related diseases.

"There needs to be a new partnership of support to develop programs we need to develop new drugs and strategies and to train the next generation of doctors to seek treatment," Wilcox said.

source: infozine