Dr. Rath’s Cellular Medicine has identified the most frequent cause of high blood pressure as a chronic deficiency of specific cellular nutrients in the millions of cells building the blood vessel walls. an insufficient supply or imbalance of key micronutrients can lead to persistent vascular spasms and thickening of the blood vessel walls and can eventually elevate blood pressure.

Some of these nutrients are needed for the production of nitric oxide (NO) which is called the “vascular relaxing factor.”and decreases vascular wall tension and keeps blood pressure in normal range. Other nutrients are essential for maintaining an optimum contraction and relaxation cycle of the smooth muscle cells and  elasticity of the blood vessels. Synergistic action of these nutrients is needed to keep blood pressure within a normal range.

These nutrients include the amino acid arginine, which is the source of the blood vessel “relaxing factor,” as well as lysine, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, coenzyme Q10 and other micronutrients.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common disorder and one of the most important risk factors for heart disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 600 million people worldwide suffer from elevated blood pressure. In most cases conventional medicine fails to recognize what causes this condition.

What is blood pressure? What is blood pressure?

Our blood circulates throughout the body forced by the constant pumping of the heart.  The measurable force with which the blood flows throughout the arteries is referred as ”blood pressure.”

The pressure of the blood depends on many factors:

1) The pumping force of the heart: If the heart pumps with more strength than normal, more blood is pumped into the arteries and blood pressure rises.
2) Volume of blood: If the volume of blood increases it leads to higher blood pressure 
3) Diameter and elasticity of the blood vessels: Under certain conditions, the diameter of the blood vessels can narrow or expand and this is linked directly to a rise or fall in blood pressure. Optimum elasticity and flexibility of the arteries is especially important for occasional blood pressure increases because elastic arteries prevent the pressure from rising too high.

Blood pressure is measured with a blood pressure gauge, and its value is expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) as two readings:

a) First reading: Systolic pressure describes the pressure of blood on the blood vessel walls as the heart contracts and forces the blood into the arteries (or when the heart muscle contracts).

b) Second reading: Diastolic pressure describes the pressure of blood on the blood vessel walls as the heart relaxes (between beats).

Medical guidelines consider that optimal blood pressure value should stay within the range of 120/80 mmHg. However, a blood pressure reading below 130/85 mmHg is still considered normal but over 140/90 mmHg is diagnosed as too high. Blood pressure is usually higher in older people as the consequence of stiffening and hardening of the vascular walls that occurs with age. Blood pressure generally rises and falls throughout the day in a cyclic rhythm and is influenced by many factors, such as exercise and emotional stress (such as being in a doctor's office).

In most cases high blood pressure does not  exhibit any symptoms and it can be detected only after it is measured.  Several blood pressure readings must be taken on different days to determine a high blood pressure diagnosis. ...hide content

Causes of high blood pressure Causes of high blood pressure

Conventional medicine distinctions between primary (essential) and secondary hypertension:Causes of high blood pressure

- Primary hypertension, diagnosed as “essential ‘hypertension” means that the underlying causes of the condition are not known. It is diagnosed in more than 90% of elevated blood pressure cases.

- Secondary hypertension can develop as a result of kidney disease, hormonal disorders or hereditary factors.

There are many other factors that can increase the risk of high blood pressure and include complications during pregnancy, smoking, being overweight, stress, pharmaceutical drugs or high salt intake. At the same time, conventional medicine has ignored micronutrient deficiencies as a cause of high blood pressure, but this is slowly changing. ...hide content

Symptoms and long-term consequences of high blood pressure Symptoms and long-term consequences of high blood pressure

Since high blood pressure does not always present distinct symptoms it often remains unrecognized. However, some people experience symptoms indicative of high blood pressure, such as early morning headaches, dizziness, nose bleeds, tinnitus, palpitations and feeling a strong pulsing in the chest.

People with high blood pressure are at risk of developing other health problems, because persistently elevated blood pressure puts an additional stress on the artery walls. Prolonged constriction impairs elasticity and weakens the (?artery) wall structure increasing the risk of damage. As a result, cholesterol and other fatty molecules carried in the blood can deposit in the damaged areas, leading to atherosclerosis and a risk of heart attack or stroke. Constrictions and obstructions of blood flow can also occur in the arteries in other organs, such as the kidneys and the eyes, causing additional damage. This is why kidney dysfunction and vision problems (retinopathy) are frequent consequences of high blood pressure.

In addition, increased blood pressure puts an additional strain on the heart muscle which has to work harder to pump the blood. This constant stress on the heart can lead to thickening of the heart muscle thereby compromising cardiovascular system function. ...hide content

Conventional medicine Conventional medicine

Conventional medicine ignores the underlying cause of high blood pressure in about 90% of the cases because it focuses on controlling the symptoms rather than addressing the source of the problem. General recommendations often include following a healthy diet, a regular exercise program, maintaining healthy weight, smoking cessation, relaxation and limiting salt and alcohol consumption.

If these measures fail to lower blood pressure, drugs such as diuretics, beta-blockers and vasodilators (ACE inhibitors, calcium antagonists) are usually prescribed. Studies have shown that antihypertensive drugs are one of the most heavily prescribed medications in the United States. With drug costs rising at least 12% per year since 1993, patients, especially the elderly, can end up spending thousands of dollars a year on prescription drugs to control their blood pressure. While the majority of these drugs (including diuretics, calcium channel blockers, and ACE inhibitors) can lower blood pressure they do not eliminate its cause and have to be taken for life. The side effects of these prescription drugs can often lead to the development of secondary health problems such as depression or edema and increased risk of hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), tinnitus (constant ringing or buzzing in the ears), kidney damage, and heart failure

Secondary high blood pressure develops as a result of defined health problems. For example, if hypertension develops as a consequence of kidney disease, the elimination of kidney problems may lead to lowering or normalizing blood pressure without taking blood pressure medication. ...hide content

Cellular medicine Cellular medicine

Cellular Medicine defines that health and disease are determined at the level of the billions of cells that build our tissues, organs and the entire body.  It focuses on the cause of disease and the prevention and natural correction of many health problems.  All the cells in the body require sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients to function optimally. Most nutrients are bio-catalysts of thousands of enzymatic reactions in every cell and if they are not provided in optimum amounts, the cells, and consequently the organs, begin to malfunction leading to the onset of disease.

According to Cellular Medicine, in most cases high blood pressure develops as a result of chronic deficiency of vitamins and other essential nutrients in the cells building the arterial walls.  This deficiency can lead to a persistent spasm of the blood vessels and their inability to respond to a pulsatile blood flow, all of which can increase blood pressure.  Some of these nutrients, such as the amino acid arginine are needed for the production of biological ”relaxing” factors.  These factors help in decreasing artery wall spasms  allowing them to expand to their internal diameter and thus lower blood pressure.

The role of specific individual micronutrients in affecting blood pressure has been known.

The most effective primary approach to maintaining optimum blood pressure is by eliminating specific micronutrient deficiencies, through synergistic effects of specific micronutrients, including the components of fruits and vegetables. This has been confirmed in our laboratory studies conducted with cells.

We also evaluated the effects of micronutrient in a clinical pilot study. This study was conducted for a period of 32 weeks and involved patients suffering from hypertension. The initial average blood pressure measured at the beginning of the study was 167/97, and after 32 weeks of supplementation with cellular nutrients the average blood pressure readings decreased to 142/83. This shows that the synergistic action of selected micronutrients was effective in decreasing systolic blood pressure by 16% and diastolic blood pressure by 15% without any side effects. ...hide content

Selected Studies in Hypertension

Bioflavonoids Effectively Inhibit Smooth Muscle Cell-Mediated Contraction of Collagen Matrix Induced by Angiotensin II

Matthias Rath Research Institute, 1260 Memorex Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95050
Published in: The Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology,- 2005, 46(5):570-6

Bioflavonoids participate in the regulation of SMC-mediated contraction and have a strong potential in counteracting pathophysiological effects of ATII. Bioflavonoid activity depends on structural characteristics and can be related to extracellular matrix integrity.

View Abstract

Mixture Of Natural Nutrients Reduces Collagen Matrix Contraction Driven By Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

V. Ivanov, S. Ivanova, M.W. Roomi, A. Niedzwiecki, M. Rath
Presented at: International Academy of Cardiology, 12th World Heart Congress, New Trends in Research, Diagnosis, and Treatment Vancouver, B.C., Canada, July 16-19, 2005
Published in: The Journal of Heart Disease; vol 4(1): 99, Abstract #394

Impaired arterial smooth muscle contractility plays a leading role in the development of systemic hypertension. Structural changes, such as occlusive atherosclerotic plaque formation, and functional changes, such as hormonal disturbances, play roles in pathophysiological mechanisms of altered arterial contractility. Accelerated gel contraction was accompanied by elevated secretion of MMPs into cell culture media. We found that purified polyphenols and catechins counteracted SMC-dependent collagen gel contraction; this gel relaxation effect was further enhanced by addition of ascorbic acid and amino acids lysine, arginine, cysteine and proline to green tea extract. A reduction in gel contraction correlated with decreased MMP expression. These results are significant as they indicated that nutrients can effectively counteract angiotensin-mediated excessive stimulation of arterial tissue contraction and have therapeutic potential in hypertension.

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Presented at: 5th Annual Conference of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology
San Francisco, CA, May 6-8, 2004 

Plant-derived bioflavonoids have been recognized to support arterial wall structural integrity and interfere with a variety of pro-atherosclerotic stimuli. This study examined the effect of various bioflavonoids on angiotensin II-stimulated contraction by human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) embedded in a three-dimensional collagen matrix. Bioflavonoid inhibition of SMC contraction was found to be dependent upon structural characteristics with EGCG and quercetin showing the greatest inhibition at 97% and 120%, respectively. These results are significant since they imply that plant derived bioflavonoids have a great potential in controlling hypertension by counteracting pathophysiological effects of angiotensin.

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