I AM NOT A DOCTOR NOR MEDICALLY TRAINED IN ANY WAY. PLEASE PRINT OUT THIS ARTICLE FOR CONSULTATION WITH YOUR LICENSED MEDICAL DOCTOR. THIS ARTICLE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

Definition: Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. The higher the blood pressure number the harder your heart is pushing to get the blood through the veins. Picture your heart as the motor of a car. The engine revs higher and higher to get the blood going. The longer the gas pedal is held down with the tires spinning the faster the engine will break down. that is my analogy of high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure and Cancer Treatment

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy caused physical changes in young male patients being treated for cancer. Because of their age and prior history, it became evident that the chemotherapy caused a significant increase in the low blood pressure events in this group. [1]

Understanding the mechanism of cytotoxic (cyto=cells) agent-induced hypotension (or biologic agent-induced hypertension) is important, (hypo is low, hyper is high) because it allows planning for appropriate preventive or therapeutic intervention. This is especially relevant in the care of elderly cancer patients with pre-existing hypertension who are treated with platinum or new biologic based treatments. At the very minimum, such patient populations may need a readjustment of ongoing antihypertensive dosage. In addition, prolonged monitoring with or without medical treatment for blood pressure fluctuations may also be needed in symptomatic patients. Finally, the effects of chemotherapy-induced hypotension may in itself also contribute to chronic fatigue in long-term survivors. [1]

Another article states that high blood pressure was caused by Metastatic Breast cancer and its response to anti-hormone therapy and chemotherapy. [2]

Abstract Two observations highlight the importance of this review. The first observation is that high blood pressure is the most frequent comorbid (disease that happens simultaneously) condition in cancer registries which directly affects the prognosis of the patient. The second observation is that long-term cancer survivors now have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than of recurrent cancer, and hypertension contributes to this risk. New approaches to cancer chemotherapy disrupt angiogenesis;(the forming of new blood vessels) subjects receiving these agents often have an associated increase in blood pressure. [3]

Blood Pressure A success Story

Debbie asked me to write this letter for her blog, to pass on the success I’ve had in dealing with—and eradicating—my high blood pressure. (He does not say that he is also an eight year cancer survivor.)

By Idhren

In late 2008, I went to the doctor for flu-type symptoms, the handling for which was simple and uninteresting. During the physical, however, my blood pressure reading was in the range of 150/110, and I was subsequently prescribed a drug regimen to bring it down.

Over the course of the next year, I went on and off of about six different high blood pressure medications, with varying degrees of success. The first two that my doctor tried had no effect on the readings. The various other ones were successful in bringing the blood pressure down, but had a plethora of unpleasant side-effects, including water retention, drowsiness, lack of energy, and weight gain.

A few months ago, I read the book No More Heart Disease by Dr. Louis Ignarro. Dr. Ignarro had won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research and findings regarding heart disease, and what he had to say made a lot of sense. His book contained a program of natural supplements and exercise designed to reverse heart disease. I won’t bother paraphrasing his theories and the program behind them, as the book is readily available and is a very apprehensible read for anyone who wants to pursue it. I also don’t want to “encapsulate” the program and give you only an outline of it. I had success with it by studying it closely and adhering to it exactly, and I recommend you do the same.

I decided to try the program. I spent about $100 at the health food store for a one-month supply of the supplements he recommended, and began taking them religiously. I own a blood pressure cuff, and monitor my own blood pressure frequently, so I was able to gauge the results closely.

In short, after about 6 weeks on the program, I was off of blood pressure medicine entirely, and my BP now averages about 127/80, completely in a normal range. I’ve continued on the program of supplements and exercise, and continue monitoring my BP.

I can recommend the book and the program it contains to anyone. Of course, I’m not a physician, and I implore you to consult your physician before making any changes to your medicine or dietary regimens if you have high blood pressure. You can get a copy of the book from Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. Pick up a copy and evaluate it for yourself.

Here’s the link to buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/More-Heart-Disease-Prevent-Even-Reverse-Heart/dp/0312335822/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268875933&sr=1-1

And here it is at Barnes and Noble:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/No-More-Heart-Disease/Louis-Ignarro/e/9780312335823/?itm=1&USRI=NO+More+Heart+Disease%3a+How+Nitric+Oxide+Can+Prevent–Even+Reverse–Heart+Disease+and+Strokes

Note: Another patient brought the book to their doctor and he is now reading the book.

Conclusion

Anyone can purchase this book to get educated on this subject. If one is a cancer patient it would be wise to study this information and implement this plan as soon as they are done with treatment. Armed with this information you should also consult with your medical doctor before beginning this regimen.

Some of my daughter’s chemotherapy drugs are known to cause heart problems years after treatment. This is why I thought this article very important to any cancer patients. Check to find out if your chemo included what are called alkylating agents as these are the ones most harmful to the heart.

~

References:

Acute Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiovascular Changes in Patients With Testicular Cancer: Are There Implications for Blood Pressure Management in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy? Sadhna Kohli, Manish Kohli

Radiation Oncology, Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester, Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY

2. CASE REPORT Pulmonary Hypertension Caused by Metastatic Breast Cancer and Its Response to Antihormone Therapy and Chemotherapy

Srilatha Konduri, Qamar Khan, and Steven Stites Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Srilatha Konduri, Department of Hematology – Oncology, Kansas University Medical Center, Med Ctr 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160

3. Manish Jain and Raymond R. Townsend1

Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 1 Gibson, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Published online: 22 July 2007

Photo by Idren.