Treating hypertension holistically.
Treatment for hypertension is solely based around treating it as a disease rather than getting to the root of the problem. Physicians typically diagnose "essential hypertension" and prescribe anti hypertensive medications. This approach does not always work and ensures the patient will be on a lifetime medication with potential adverse effects.
Hypertension has underlying causes and is not simply a genetic trait. Finding the cause of the problem can allow for other routes of therapy, avoidance of risk factors and possible development of other diseases. It is common that a patient may develop type 2 diabetes due to underlying insulin resistance that anti hypertensives do not address. When a patient is diagnosed with hypertension, history-taking should cover risks, signs, and symptoms for all identifiable causes. Cardiovascular risk factors also must be assessed in depth. Factors such as sleep apnea, obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and systemic inflammation should all be considered.