High blood pressure is common in our culture. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, about 30 percent of all American adults ages 20 and up have high blood pressure. Another 30 percent have “prehypertension,” or moderately elevated readings not high enough to be considered true high blood pressure yet. That means 60 percent of the adult population has an elevated blood pressure reading. Between the ages of 65 and 74, the numbers rise to 64 percent of men and 69 percent of women with true hypertension.
Based on these numbers, it seems we should consider elevated blood pressure a normal part of aging; the “outliers” are the folks whose pressure did not go up. But perhaps it isn’t normal, or inevitable, for your blood pressure to rise as you age.
In a fascinating study published in the journal Hypertension in 2012, researchers measured the blood pressures of 2,300 members of the Tsimane tribe, who live in the Amazon basin. They were chosen because they still live a native lifestyle; they raise, hunt and gather all their own food, and are very physically active. Their numbers were quite different from ours — only 3 percent of the adults showed signs of high blood pressure.
“Surprisingly, heart disease and stroke aren’t necessarily inevitable with age,” Michael Gurven, one of the authors of the study, said in a news release announcing the results.
That isn’t a surprise to me. We chiropractors were taught that disease is not the norm, and that our bodies are designed to work well until the end of our lives. But our culture accepts disease and impairment as a normal part of aging. Modern medical science has blamed most chronic health problems, including hypertension, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes, on genetics or bad luck or just aging. Anything but their true cause: our lifestyles. Those other factors certainly have an effect on health, but not nearly as much as lifestyle.
Our bodies are designed to handle the stresses we throw at them. But after a while, the triple stresses of a highly processed diet, a lack of activity and constant mental stimulation catch up with us. What is the body’s typical response to stress? A rise in blood pressure, of course. So it should not be a surprise that lifestyle stresses cause an increase in blood pressure that worsens as we age.
Another interesting statistic: Only 47 percent of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. Of course, the mainstay of medical treatment for hypertension is drugs. It shouldn’t be a surprise that medications are only moderately effective at controlling a condition caused by stress. Taking any drug, even one to lower blood pressure, is another stress on the body.
Wellness care can be very effective for hypertension. Whether you are doing manipulation, acupuncture, supplements or some combination, the goal is to reduce stress on the body, not add to it. Lifestyle changes are important, but you don’t have to move to the Amazon to improve your blood pressure. Some simple improvements are enough for most patients.
Many patients even improve enough that they are able to reduce or eliminate their blood pressure medications. The sooner you start making healthy changes, the greater difference it will make over time.
Dr. Michael Noonan practices chiropractic, chiropractic acupuncture and other wellness therapies in Old Town. He can be reached at noonanchiropractic@gmail.com.