3 Alternatives to Popular High Blood Pressure Drugs

Lowering Stress to Avoid Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB)

Research on mice and men has indicated some amazing characteristics of the relatively new angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB). Angiotensin receptor blockers (also called ARBs or angiotensin II inhibitors) are medicines that dilate (widen) blood vessels, and are used in the treatment of conditions such as high blood pressure. Examples of ARBs include[1]:

• Atacand
• Avalide
• Avapro
• Benicar
• Cozaar
• Diovan
• Exforge
• Hyzaar
• Micardis
• Teveten

Angiotensin is a chemical in your body that affects your cardiovascular system in various ways, including narrowing your blood vessels. This narrowing can increase your blood pressure and force your heart to work harder. Angiotensin also triggers a ­hormone that makes your body retain water. Having more fluid in your body in a restricted space will cause your blood pressure to rise. Angiotensin receptor blockers block the action of angiotensin, allowing blood vessels to dilate. They also reduce the amount of water your body retains, which lowers your blood pressure.

But ARBs have many other positive effects on the body. It seems that every system is affected, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and more. As more research is done, more benefits are found.

ARB Potential Benefits

• Protects the kidneys in diabetes[2]
• Prevents dementia, improves brain function[3]
• Decreases stress, lowers anxiety[4]
• Delays the manifestations of hypertension
• Delays diabetes
• Decreases cardiovascular disease
• Lowers risk of cancer[5]
• Prolongs life[6]
• Lowers protein, lipid, and DNA oxidation[7]
• Limits mitochondrial peroxide production (protecting energy)
• Increases uncoupling protein-2 and sirtuin expression (to prevent aging).[8]
• Prevents migraine headaches[9]

Taken together, it seems like ARBs can improve and prolong the life of almost everyone! It sounds too good to be true! How can a medication that blocks only one receptor have so many benefits? Is this snake-oil? Or is it real?!

It turns out that there is some truth to all of it. ARB drugs block one of the receptors (AT1) stimulated by Angiotensin II, a hormone from the kidney that increases blood pressure. Angiotensin II is a stress hormone so ARB drugs will have the effect of lowering stress.

Stress is the biggest factor in our health, causing more damage than anything else. If we could put all we do to affect our physical health on a scale, it might look something like this:

 

Stress has much more effect on our health and longevity than anything else. The most important cause of aging is stress. Yet, we spend most of our time and money on the other things: food, exercise, supplements and medications; and ignore the most important part – stress.

It turns out that angiotensin II is a major stress hormone. It’s released by stress, causing many of the effects that we experience. Stress is ultimately responsible for:

• Decreased circulation in the body, including the brain
• Raised blood pressure
• Inflammation
• Oxidation that damages our mitochondria that make energy

Almost every tissue in the body has an angiotensin receptor. Thus, all these effects increase aging of every tissue in the body.

To combat these adverse effects, drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are used. Perhaps we should all be taking them – maybe even include it in our drinking water! Such suggestions have been made.

Trouble in ARB Paradise

On the other hand, every rose has its thorns. The effects of a medication are what we want, but the side-effects are not what we want. Actually, few people have side-effects, as far a symptoms, but there are a few potential issues with ARB medications:

• Potential increased risk of heart attack[10]
• Possible increased risk of cancer in some people[11] [12] [13]
• Elevated potassium levels,[14] which can cause weakness, numbness, fatigue, and palpitations of the heart
• May cause cough, or rash[15]
• Lowers aldosterone which can cause hearing loss
• Increases the level of angiotensin II hormone, and receptors (we don’t yet know what this will cause)

We must remember that ARBs, like all patent drugs, block a normal function of the body. There is a purpose for the AT1 receptors, and when they are blocked, the cells will not function normally. Perhaps, rather than block the symptoms of blood pressure, if we looked at why the blood pressure is elevated, we could relieve the problem, and get all the benefits without any of the risks.

ARB drugs lower blood pressure due to high stress hormone levels. Thus, the most likely way to find help without drugs is by lowering stress, and its effects.

High Blood Pressure Alternatives

1. Stress reduction

Angiotensin II is a stress hormone, as we discussed earlier. When we lower our stress levels, the blood pressure naturally declines to normal, so we wouldn’t need any medications. Stress reduction is complex because people all have different reasons for having stress. The best ways to lower stress hormones include:

• Focus your mind on a goal or objective for your life, and work towards it. Don’t fret over yesterday, or worry about tomorrow. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
• Foster supportive relationships. Family and friends can be the greatest stressor, or stress reliever, depending on how well we build trust and love.
• Exercise regularly. This increases hormones called “endorphins” that lower stress hormones.
• Forgive everyone of everything. Hold no anger, grudge, or resentment, no matter how much you’ve been hurt.
• Avoid stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and amphetamines. Use herbal teas, or broth.

For a more complete discussion, see our article on stress reduction.

2. Curcumin

Found in turmeric, curcumin is an amazing herb that lowers the Angiotensin II hormone,[16] giving all the benefits of these medications, but without any of the risks.

Turmeric should be used with black pepper to better absorb curcumin, the active ingredient. Find a supplement that includes piperine or black pepper. The dose depends on the preparation, so follow the instructions on the label.

3. Fasting

Besides mental stress, there is a growing body of evidence that many of the problems that can be treated with ARB medications are caused by eating too many calories, causing chemical stress. As the population increases in weight, we see the same effects of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Periodic fasting can reverse and eliminate the risks without any side-effects (except hunger). The list above that includes the potential benefits of the ARB medications is also a list of proven benefits of calorie restriction or periodic fasting. [17] Fasting not only improves health in these, but also in so many other ways.

For a complete discussion, see our recent article on intermittent fasting.

As new drugs come out, all the “research” is positive to improve marketing. But as patents expire, we begin to see the other side. Since some of these still have original patents, there are lots of positive articles written about them. Thus, we may have to wait some time to fully comprehend the downside of the ARB drugs. In the meantime, with the program outlined, you can have all the good benefits without ever taking the drug!

 

Intrigued by alternatives to lowering your blood pressure? Check out more myths and facts, here.

 

 

Sources:
[1] http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/angiotensin-ii-receptor-blockers/art-20045009
[2] Compound 21 and Telmisartan combination mitigates type 2 diabetic nephropathy through amelioration of caspase mediated apoptosis. Pandey A, Gaikwad AB. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2017 Apr 27. pii: S0006-291X(17)30816-1. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.04.134. PMID: 28456626
[3] Protective effects of Telmisartan and tempol on lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive impairment, neuro-inflammation and amyloidogenesis: possible role of brain derived neurotrophic factor. Khallaf WA, Messiha B, Abo-Youssef A, El Sayed NS. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2017 Apr 7. doi: 10.1139/cjpp-2017-0042. PMID: 28388365
[4] Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Dec;1148:360-6. Peripherally administered angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonists are anti-stress compounds in vivo. Pavel J, Benicky J, Murakami Y, Sanchez-Lemus E, Saavedra JM.
[5] The angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist telmisartan inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth of esophageal adenocarcinoma via the AMPKα/mTOR pathway in vitro and in vivo. Fujihara S, Morishita A, Ogawa K, Tadokoro T, Chiyo T, Kato K, Kobara H, Mori H, Iwama H, Masaki T. Oncotarget. 2017 Jan 31;8(5):8536-8549. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.14345. PMID: 28052030
[6] Disruption of the Ang II type 1 receptor promotes longevity in mice. Benigni A, Corna D, Zoja C, Sonzogni A, Latini R, Salio M, Conti S, Rottoli D, Longaretti L, Cassis P, Morigi M, Coffman TM, Remuzzi G.
[7] Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Inhibit the Generation of Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acid from Arachidonic Acid in Recombinant CYP2C9, CYP2J2 and Human Liver Microsomes. Senda A, Mukai Y, Hayakawa T, Kato Y, Eliasson E, Rane A, Toda T, Inotsume N. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2017 Apr 4. doi: 10.1111/bcpt.12789. PMID: 28374982
[8] Cardiovasc Res. 2011 Jan 1;89(1):31-40. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvq285. Epub 2010 Sep 6. Angiotensin II blockade: a strategy to slow ageing by protecting mitochondria? de Cavanagh EM1, Inserra F, Ferder L.
[9] Treatment with telmisartan, a long-acting angiotensin II receptor blocker, prevents migraine attacks in Japanese non-responders to lomerizine. Ikeda K, Hanashiro S, Ishikawa Y, Sawada M, Kyuzen M, Morioka H, Ebina J, Nagasawa J, Yanagihashi M, Miura K, Hirayama T, Takazawa T, Kano O, Kawabe K, Iwasaki Y. Neurol Sci. 2017 Feb 21. doi: 10.1007/s10072-017-2854-4. PMID: 28224326
[10] https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.594986 Circulation. 2006;114:838-854 Originally published August 21, 2006
[11] Panminerva Med. 2016 Sep 15. Angiotensin receptor blockers and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Qian YF1, Xu WG, Wu J.
[12] J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst. 2015 Dec;16(4):768-73. doi: 10.1177/1470320315607391. Epub 2015 Oct 5. Angiotensin receptor blockers use and the risk of lung cancer: A meta-analysis. Zhang W1, Liang Z1, Li J1, Cai S2.
[13] https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324682204578515172395384146
[14] Hypertension. 2016 Jun;67(6):1181-8. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07363. Epub 2016 Apr 11. Antihypertensive Medications and the Prevalence of Hyperkalemia in a Large Health System. Chang AR1, Sang Y2, Leddy J2, Yahya T2, Kirchner HL2, Inker LA2, Matsushita K2, Ballew SH2, Coresh J2, Grams ME2.
[15] Cutis. 2017 Jan;99(1):E16-E19. Telmisartan-induced lichen planus eruption manifested on vitiliginous skin. Chan WP1, Mackey VT1, Sun DK2.
[16] Curcumin inhibits angiotensin II-induced inflammation and proliferation of rat vascular smooth muscle cells by elevating PPAR-γ activity and reducing oxidative stress. Li HY, Yang M, Li Z, Meng Z. Int J Mol Med. 2017 May;39(5):1307-1316. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.2924. Epub 2017 Mar 20. PMID: 28339005
[17] Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2017 Apr 12. pii: S0303-7207(17)30224-1. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.04.011. Nutrition modulation of human aging: The calorie restriction paradigm. Das SK1, Balasubramanian P2, Weerasekara YK3.