Hi Andrea,

Of course there are certain rare conditions (metabolic  abnormalities,
tumors, etc.) that can cause hypertension, and I'm guessing that  your doctor would
want to rule these out, given your other extremely healthy  numbers. Has s/he
given you a Holter monitor to keep track of your blood  pressure 24 X 7?

Now I am not a doctor, don't play one on TV, etc., etc., but there  are a few
things that come to mind that I thought I'd mention. First off, this  is
something I have been told by several doctors, and that is to never let  anyone
take your blood pressure until you have been sitting quietly for at least  5
minutes. Have you tried getting some blood pressure readings at the machines  in
the drug stores, where you can sit there as long as you want? Second, I've
read (sorry, don't have a reference) that a zero salt diet can actually RAISE
blood pressure in some people. Third, there are other salts besides sodium
chloride that can spike blood pressure in susceptible people. I myself am very
Tyramine sensitive. Tyramine is an amino acid present in aged, preserved,
pickled, smoked foods. That means bacon, sausage, aged cheeses, red wine, smoked
fish, tinned sardines, etc., are very high. Even very ripe bananas and
avocados  are high, as are organ meats such as liver. I love all these foods, but now
I'm  very careful about avoiding them, because an overload will give me a
migraine  headache along with a huge spike in blood pressure. The same is true of
MSG,  which can be present in many guises even in foods that state on the
label that  they are MSG free! (I have numerous links and references if you want
more  information about Tyramine and/or MSG.) You could try, as an experiment,
a week  or two of a diet with only VERY fresh, unprocessed home prepared
foods, and  see if your blood pressure doesn't come down. That would mean basic
Paleo, but  nothing aged, smoked, or otherwise canned/packaged/processed with
any added  ingredients. Use only a very few grains of unprocessed French
Atlantic or Celtic  sea salt for seasoning. Drink spring water only- not even any
teas or coffee.  Hope that helps. Please keep us posted.

Maddy Mason
Hudson Valley, NY

In a message dated 8/4/2004 12:42:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, Andrea
Hughett <[log in to unmask] writes:

I just  had my annual physical, and all my bloodwork is
great: A1C (I'm a Type 2  diabetic) 4.9, HDL 83, LDL
65, Triglycerides <45....but my blood  pressure is
running way high: 188/110.  Definitely  unacceptable.

I've been eating low-carb - with occasional lapses  -
for 3 years, mostly paleo for the last year, I think,
and I guess it  works as far as sugar and lipids, but
what can I do about my blood  pressure?  And since I'm
doing everything else right, what could be  going
wrong?

I exercise an average of an hour a day, I've cut  back
on caffeine (2 cups of black tea a day or equivalent),
occasionally  use sausage or other preserved meats but
don't add salt to my food.   Any ideas what to change?

Andrea