Nearly half the adults in the United States (about 45%, or 108 million) have hypertension (high blood pressure).  High Blood Pressure (HBP) is defined where the pressure reading is over 130 for the systolic and over 80 for the diastolic pressure.  Of those about 30 million take medication for this condition.  The systolic or top number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats, and the diastolic or bottom number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests. 

The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems such as kidney problems, eye problems, heart attack, heart disease, or stroke.  It could cause memory loss, blurred vision, libido issues in both men and women, and result in the excess loss of calcium and cause weaker bones. High blood pressure can damage arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases blood flow and oxygen to your heart and leads to heart disease.  High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.  Therefore, periodic checks for your blood pressure are important.

The natural recommendations for reducing high blood pressure are to decrease alcohol, salt, and smoking, eating healthy foods and increasing physical activity and losing weight if necessary.  Taking time to relax or meditate also helps. A less well-known recommendation but proven to be an effective method, is improving grip strength.