Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure (Harvard Medical School Guides)

209 Pages·2005·1.57 MB·English

by  Herbert Benson

TH E
HARVARD M EDICAL
SCHOOL GUI DE TO
LOWERI NG YOUR
B L O O D P RESS U RE
Also from McGraw-Hill and Harvard Medical School
Living Through Breast Cancer, by Carolyn M. Kaelin, M.D.,
M.P.H., with Francesca Coltrera
Eat, Play, and Be Healthy, by W. Allan Walker, M.D., with
Courtney Humphries
Beating Diabetes, by David M. Nathan, M.D., and Linda M.
Delahanty, M.S., R.D.
Lowering Your Cholesterol, by Mason W. Freeman, M.D., with
Christine Junge
Healing Your Sinuses, by Ralph B. Metson, M.D., with Steven
Mardon
Achieving Optimal Memory, by Aaron P. Nelson, Ph.D., with
Susan Gilbert
Overcoming Thyroid Problems, by Jeffrey R. Garber, M.D., with
Sandra Sardella White
The No Sweat Exercise Plan, by Harvey B. Simon, M.D.
Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child When a Parent Is Sick, by
Paula K. Rauch, M.D., and Anna C. Muriel, M.D., M.P.H.
TH E
HARVARD M EDICAL
SCHOOL GUI DE TO
LOWERI NG YOUR
B L O O D P RESS U RE
AGGIE CASEY, R.N. , M.S. , AND
H ERBERT BEN SON, M.D.
WITH BRIAN O’N EI LL
Copyright © 2006 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the
United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this
publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval
system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
0-07-149039-6
The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-144801-2.
All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every
occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trade-
mark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book,
they have been printed with initial caps.
McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or
for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at
Professional
Want to learn more?
We hope you enjoy this
McGraw-Hill eBook! If
you’d like more information about this book,
its author, or related books and websites,
please click here.
I, Aggie Casey, dedicate this book to
my daughter, Ali Barros, and to
my husband, Charlie, for their continuous
love and support. I would also like to
thank my parents, Agnes and Bill Casey,
for believing in me. I love all of you
with my life.
I, Herbert Benson, am forever grateful to
my wife, Marilyn.
This page intentionally left blank
For more information about this title, click here
Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
C H A P T E R 1 1
Understanding Hypertension
Hypertension: An Important Update 1
Blood Pressure Basics 2
Understanding the Numbers 3
Different Kinds, Varying Degrees 5
So You’ve Been Diagnosed with Hypertension 8
When Is Medication Necessary? 9
Why Is Hypertension Dangerous? 10
Next Steps 11
C H A P T E R 2 13
Understanding Why Hypertension Develops
Risk Factors You Cannot Change 14
Risk Factors You Can Change 15
Measuring Your Blood Pressure at Home 17
Carol’s Story 21
John’s Story 22
Next Steps 24
vii
CONTENTS
C H A P T E R 3 25
Managing Stress
Using Version-1 Software in the Modern World 25
Introduction to the Stress Response 26
What’s Stressful? 29
Is Stress a Problem for You? 29
The Many Faces of Chronic Stress 30
The Relaxation Response: Short-Circuiting Stress 33
Dealing with Cognitive Distortions 44
Taking the Sting Out of Ten Common Stressors 48
Next Steps 50
C H A P T E R 4 51
DASHing Your Way to Healthier Blood Pressure
Now DASH Away, DASH Away, DASH Away All 52
Looking for Hidden Salt 56
Alcohol: Friend or Foe? 57
Shed the Pounds, Lower the Numbers 59
Cholesterol: The Good and the Bad 64
The Other Players 66
Balancing Your Plate 71
Next Steps 74
C H A P T E R 5 75
Exercise
How Exercise Helps People with Hypertension 76
The Benefits Just Keep on Coming 79
A Note of Caution 82
Designing the Right Program for You 84
Getting Started: What Works for You? 92
Exercise: Great for Mind and Body 95
Carol’s Story 98
Staying in It for the Long Haul 99
Next Steps 103
viii