By

Jim Evans

DEAR JIM: I have recently been diagnosed with moderately high blood pressure (149/95), and my doctor wants to put me on medication. I am otherwise in pretty good health at 74, but I am hesitant to start taking any medication for this problem if there is another solution. I have never been very physically active – at least not since I was a youngster – and I’m a little overweight, but it seems to me that you said in one of your columns that exercise could sometimes reduce high blood pressure. What’s the scoop? CHECKING ALL THE OPTIONS IN ANDOVER

DEAR CAO (CHECKING ALL THE OPTIONS): Yes, exercise can often reduce blood pressure. In fact, many recent studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise – even something as simple as walking over several months - may modestly lower blood pressure. According to a recent National Institutes of Health conference, aerobic exercise reduces resting blood pressure in people who have hypertension by an average of 11 points off the top number (systolic pressure) and 9 points off the bottom number (diastolic pressure). That could be enough to lower high blood pressure to normal.

A reading of 140/90 or greater is considered high, so your doctor’s diagnosis was correct, and you should definitely be looking at ways to reduce your blood pressure. Increasing your level physical activity might be one solution since your blood pressure is just moderately high, but if changes in your lifestyle do not work (e.g. exercise), you should consider your doctor’s advice to take medication to lower your blood pressure.

The danger of high blood pressure, of course, is that it increases the risk of heart disease and/or kidney disease or stroke. It is especially dangerous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, more than 65 million Americans - one out of every three adults over 20 - has high blood pressure, and more than 30% of them don’t even know they have it!

But now a new device – RESPeRATE – has recently been introduced as the first FDA-approved non-drug medical device that can be safely used in conjunction with medication and lifestyle modifications and has been clinically proven to reduce blood pressure without side effects. Even your doctor may not have heard about it yet.

What is it? It is a portable, hand-held, computerized electronic device that guides users through a series of breathing exercises – personalized according to the individual – causing the muscles around the small blood vessels to relax, thereby reducing the blood pressure.

Sound too simple? According to research by InterCure, the New Jersey maker of RESPeRATE, research shows that “structured therapeutic breathing, if performed without an effort or particular concentration, can significantly lower blood pressure.” However, since such therapeutic breathing is difficult to achieve without extensive training and coaching, RESPeRATE takes over by establishing a “personalized melody composed of two distinct inhale and exhale guiding tones.” Users listen to the melody through special headphones and syncrhonize their breathing to the tones.

Seven separate clinical studies established that RESPeRATE reduced the systolic pressure (the upper number in a blood pressure reading) by up to 36 points (an average of 14 points) and the diastolic pressure (the lower number) by up to 20 points (an average of 9 points) after just eight weeks of regular use – usually 3-4 sessions of 15 minutes each. A study in the American Journal of Hypertension found that RESPeRATE even reduced high blood pressure when 3 or more medications were taken at maximum dosage!

RESPeRATE does not require a prescription. However, people with certain medical conditions should consult their physician prior to using RESPeRATE only because these particular conditions were not included as part of the clinical trials.

For further information about this remarkable new medical development, readers can refer to www.resperate.com. High blood pressure is no laughing matter, and perhaps you will find this to be a valuable tool in managing your blood pressure in the future.

Jim Evans is a 38-year veteran of the health and fitness industry and a nationally recognized consultant on fitness for seniors. He is also host of the popular weekly radio talk show “Forever Young” on San Diego’s KCBQ 1170 AM (KCBQ.com) on Saturdays at 10:00 A.M. (PST).