(Scientific American) — People with high blood pressure are often told to watch the salt. And it’s long been thought that hypertension related to excess salt is caused by the salt increasing the volume of the blood. Which in turn puts added pressure on the blood vessel walls. But going back to the 1960s and ‘70s, some researchers thought that the salt might be having a different effect.
Now long-time hypertension researchers Irene and Haralambos Gavras at the Boston University School of Medicine have analyzed the studies in the field and published a review article explaining what they think salt’s role really is: it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to produce adrenalin. And it’s the adrenalin that constricts the arteries and causes the high blood pressure, not excess fluid volume. The review is in the Journal of Hypertension. [Irene Gavras and Haralambos Gavras, “Volume-expanded’ hypertension: the effect of fluid overload and the role of the sympathetic nervous system in salt-dependent hypertension“]
(24 votes, average: 4.17 out of 5)
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Wow!! If this is the case, what have all the medication to help lower our BP is doing ?
How do you lower your Adrenalin?
Interested in knowing what is the answer.
Well, that’s interesting, but WHAT IN HELL does this mean for us, and WHAT IN HELL should we do or change in response to this news?
As hypertensives have long been advised, moderate your sodium/salt intake. That’s what this means. It does nothing to contradict existing advise for patients and the public, and indeed reinforces the importance of paying attention to salt.
And, in response to some of the subsequent comments, the value of the study and related research is to better understand the mechanism of hypertension to come up with better prevention and treatment.
Some of us have our blood pressure well-controlled by current drugs and some don’t. Some of us have had good results from modifying lifestyle (including diet and exercise) practices and some don’t.
The work reported will help fill in the puzzle.
I have been doing low sodium for years and it hasn’t done one iota of good in lowering my BP. My doc said it’s probably adrenaline too but it obviously isn’t connected to salt in my case. I’ve experimented recently and had good results with only meds. Nothing else worked including exercise. I was just weaned off my meds 2 weeks ago and found the right combo of supplements that work. My advice to everyone is go have a consultation with a Naturopathic doc and they can do wonders in getting you back in control by getting you on a natural and effective treatment plan. It feels great to be off meds with awful side effects. My BP tonight was 115/61 and I feel great. Follow a DASH diet, take supplements and get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise everyday.
This is interesting. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure about 3 years ogo. The doctor did alot of tests and the results were I was producing too much adrenalin, but he could not find out why. I do eat alot of salty products.
What moderation?
Hi Ella, what are the name of the tests your Dr ordered to identify the adrenaline?
I agree with the above comment: So, now since we know this new tidbit, what do we do with it?
I’m wondering the same thing. I currently take 360 mgs of blood pressure medicine, a day. 160/25 of the being a “water pill”.
LORD HELP US. This is just the tip of the ice berg –
no surprise to me. There are many more misconceptions
out there.
one day news will come with this..’Salt is to be found to lower blood Pressure’.and after few years again they would say ‘Salt is a culprit to raise blood pressure.They really like to make jokes often.huh?
And then they say that sea salt is better and doesn’t work the same way in our system as manufactured salt. does it make any difference?
Sea salt is still salt and has a fair amount of sodium still. Use other spices to flavor food. You won’t miss the flavor of salt after just a few days.
@Jack and Jason: nothing right now, but if true thus means we have been treating an effect instead of a cause. This study would also explain why so many other studies have been inconsistent regarding the effect of salt on BP. At first blush, this seems to explain a lot.
yeah and its like coffee – one day its good for you the next day its no good, thats enough to make you crazy. Just everything – in moderation.
I was led to believe that stress had no affect on hypertension but if adrenaline is really the culprit then this changes a lot of preconceptions
I’m not so sure salt affects everyone’s BP. I was on a completely salt free diet for over a year with absolutely no reduction of BP. This diet include only grass fed meat, fresh vegetables, no bread or pasta and NO processed foods. My blood pressure sayed the same. The adrenaline/kidney connection brings another question to us all.
I have heard that meditators ( who meditate 2 times a day) actually require a higher salt intake. Could that be
because they lower their stress & adrenal out put?
calm down you’ll raise your blood pressure
I have high blood pressure but neither coffee nor salt have any effect on it. I developed it when I was about 40 years old (a long time ago), slender, active, biking, running, walking, playing tennis, eating nutritious, low-fat foods many from our garden. Still have it and need medications to control it. I think heredity plays a big part in it.
In India, I advice my patients to watch salt intake, take medicine regularly, plus do YOGA and PRANAYAM (Breath Control) twice a day for 20 minutes. Meditate for 5 minutes after Yoga (Eyes closed. Mind concentrating towards the Creator of the World, Guru,your deceased Parents, Lord Shiva or other God of your choice, Christ, Buddha,Mahavira or Mehmood ). Always keep in mind that this world is NOT created to follow your orders or wishes. This controls Adrenalin. In one month, my patients report lowering of BP and their medicinal doses. Good Luck
blah, bah, blah!!! I’m 54 and i have elevated bp in the family. My mom just died of pancreatic cancer at 76. We all thought the ol’ man ould go first (he’s 80)Nope!! He drank alot and never watched his diet. Mom did. Go figure?
Lowering adrenalin might be okay for the people so choc-full of energy they can’t fall asleep if they have a cup of coffee 4 hrs before bedtime.
However, every since a doctor deviated my septum 20 years ago, I had sleep apnea and could not get enough oxygen when I sleep, causing chronic fatigue that caused me to be so sleepy, that I slept almost all day and all night. The only thing any doctor prescribed so far, that gives me enough energy to function, causes a higher adrenalin flow but I’ve never had a high blood pressure reading until about 6 months ago. I’m sure that finding something that would simply lower my adrenalin would only result in me going into the state so tired that I can only sleep most of the time with about 4 hrs max of daily awake time, which is the horrible experience I have when I don’t get to the pharmacy before my prescription runs out. Since I’ve had a higher flow of adrenalin for 20yrs but did not have high blood pressure until recently, I know the question is not “how to lower adrenalin”, but instead – to understand:
Why can a higher flow of adrenalin combined with what other ingredients or conditions, cause blood vessels to contract, and thereby cause high blood pressure?
If anyone knows the answer, please reply and let me know. Thanks:)!
Why can a higher flow of adrenalin combined with what other ingredients or conditions, cause blood vessels to contract, and thereby cause high blood pressure?
Sal, Did you ever get an answer for this?
Lest there be any misunderstanding, the study concludes that salt is, nevertheless, the culprit: it is the mechanism (the what, where, when, why, and how) of expanded-volume hypertension that has been re-defined.
Consider too: in the vast majority of instances, the preponderance of evidence urges the correct path – notwithstanding the fact that, on occasion, the evidence is ultimately overturned. Conversely stated, if I follow the path of the exceptions rather than the rule, I will be more often wrong than right.
Monk
Beta blockers reduce adrenalin. That’s how they work to lower BP. Nothing new there.
Does anyone have any recommendations on effective Beta Blockers that don’t flood one with lots of side effects?