(LATimes.com) — One out of every three adult Americans has high cholesterol levels and two-thirds of them do not have it under control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. Similarly, one out of every three adults has high blood pressure and half of them do not have it under control. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two of the major risk factors for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in the United States, killing 800,000 people every year. Overall, 100 million Americans have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or both, and that has serious health and economic consequences for the country, according to the new CDC report released in an early version of the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The conditions cost the country $300 billion per year in direct medical costs alone — $1 out of every $6 spent for healthcare — and that number is expected to triple in the next 20 years, said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the CDC director. “The bottom line is, high blood pressure and cholesterol are out of control.”
The data for the study came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which interviewed and examined 11,154 participants over the age of 18 between 2005 and 2008. The data may be somewhat conservative because it did not include the elderly residing in nursing homes and other institutions, who have a high incidence of age-related hypertension.
Blood pressure should be less than 120/80, and requires management if it is higher than 140/90. LDL cholesterol (also known as bad cholesterol) should be less than 160 for people without heart disease or diabetes; less than 130 for people without heart disease or diabetes but with two or more other risk factors for heart disease; and below 100 for people with heart disease or diabetes.
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I believe a lot of the blame goes to the doctors! when a doctor takes a persons blood pressure and it is a little high,say 140/80,the first thiing the doctor wants to do is write a prescription.The doctor should first inform the person of ways to get blood pressure down with out drugs such as more exercise and strict diet change.Most doctors don’t do this.Doctors see dollar signs and reason that every person they can get on blood pressure medicine is a person that will be back every three month for check up . more money for the doctor in which medicare pays 80%.I have talked to many people on HBP Drugs and they all agree that no doctor has ever encouraged them to change their diet and life style.
From what I understand life span expected to go down, pharmaceutical drugs not promoting healing just additional health problems with long term use,to many negative side effects.
Health problems seem to be worsening with modern technology, and little concern by government in the foods that they allow producer to feed public,to many anti-oxidents and hormone’s being fed to animals.
To many strong drugs used on older citizens, that cause death, I have seen over and over again the over medicating of the ederly, cease the meds of many and they get better, some suffer the consequences of long time use and die.
Much of the machines used are very harmful to the public, used anyway, but do not seem to produce healthier citizens threw the hi-tech advanced equipment
some causing more problems than curing.
Never seen so many different disease’s and allergy in my life time and they actually seem to be getting worse.
Pharmaceutical drugs seem to allow persons to live with out pain to a degree, until the succumb to death from the side effects of the drugs, and yet they just keep producing and creating drugs, that have a more negative effect, rather than promoting healing cure’s.
Why do they continue to follow this type of treatment. some healing and some quite amazing, but seem to be losing the battle for real health.
Lloyd R. Bailey
One word: Ignorance.I have had a GP for 30 years and not ONCE has he ever asked me about my diet or exercise lifestyles!!! I lowered my total cholesterol from 236 to 175 is 8 months and my BP is now averaging 116/67! How? Exercise and a simple diet of mostly veggies and protein and tons of hiking. Plenty of sleep and meditation. I am turning 59 this month and feel great, off my meds for 8 months! You can do it too!
My BP was 168/110 upon being diagnosed, and my cholesterol was 308. I was just turning 38 at the time. I at some sweets, mostly dark chocolate, but very little fast food(maybe 1-2) per month). We do no deep frying at home either. My good cholesterol went up a bit, but it was already high. My bad sank to a low normal. Now, my BP is still and issue after taking 1 25mg Hydrochlorothiazide and 2 20mg Enalapril. My BP was 140/100 in my left arm, and 136/90 in the other. Could be some white coat going on but it still concerns me. Now almost 40, I am more active, losing weight slowly but surely. Eating tons of fresh fruits/veggies, very little red meat and taking Salmon Oil and Krill Oil. I just wish I had the 116/67 that the above gentleman has.