Product Description

"The book is exceptional in its clarity and depth. I would recommend it to anyone with a tendency to hypertension."
—Charles Keenan Jr., M.D., Associate Professor of Family Practice, UCLA

"Hypertension is an important member of the quartet of risk factors for cardiovascular disease--the other three are elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, and cigarette smoking. Robert Kowalski endeavors to bring all these risk factors under control without resorting to medications. This book presents simple answers to the questions that arise when people take charge of their own health in partnership with their physician."
—Calvin Ezrin, M.D., author of Your Fat Can Make You Thin

"The Blood Pressure Cure offers a comprehensive, nutritionally sound, and easily accessible guide to lowering one's blood pressure safely and effectively."
—Kristen Caron, M.A., M.F.T., author of The Everyday Meal Planner for Type 2 Diabetes

"Robert Kowalski is now doing for blood pressure what he did for cholesterol in his previous books--he is revolutionizing the way we think about the non-pharmaceutical treatment of this important risk factor for heart disease. This well-written, concise book is a must-read for every person suffering from or treating high blood pressure."
—Paul Dougherty, M.D., Professor of Medicine, UCLA

Robert Kowalski, the bestselling author of The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure, presents a clinically proven program that draws on the very latest research on high blood pressure causes, development, and treatment. With the most up-to-date information on herbs, supplements, diet, physical activity, and more, this commonsense, easy-to-follow program can help you lower your blood pressure so that you can decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke—and increase your chances of living a long and healthy life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20160 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780470275405
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
In 1978, at age 35, medical journalist Kowalski (The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure) suffered a heart attack and later underwent two coronary bypass surgeries. Here, he relates how he lost weight, quit smoking, managed stress, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels and avoided medications and their side effects. Kowalski recommends ways to monitor blood pressure, combat the metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease and diabetes (abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin resistance, inflammation, etc.) and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. He provides basic diet and exercise guidelines, details the components of proper electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and describes potent natural remedies, including arginine, pycnogenol and grapeseed extract. There are sections on children's health and risks and a review of current prescription drugs for those who must take them. Kowalski's use of clichés and case studies bogs down the text somewhat. Still, readers facing poor prognoses will gain a hopeful perspective on the future from the author's experiences. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
In 1978, at age 35, medical journalist Kowalski (The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure) suffered a heart attack and later underwent two coronary bypass surgeries. Here, he relates how he lost weight, quit smoking, managed stress, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels and avoided medications and their side effects. Kowalski recommends ways to monitor blood pressure, combat the metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease and diabetes (abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin resistance, inflammation, etc.) and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. He provides basic diet and exercise guidelines, details the components of proper electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and describes potent natural remedies, including arginine, pycnogenol and grapeseed extract. There are sections on children's health and risks and a review of current prescription drugs for those who must take them. Kowalski's use of clichés and case studies bogs down the text somewhat. Still, readers facing poor prognoses will gain a hopeful perspective on the future from the author's experiences. (May) (Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2007)

From the Inside Flap

Robert Kowalski's #1 New York Times bestseller The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure revolutionized the way we understand and treat high cholesterol. Now Kowalski introduces the ultimate clinically proven program to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke—without the need to make difficult lifestyle changes or take prescription drugs that may have unpleasant side effects. Whether you already have high blood pressure or have the high-normal levels now known as prehypertension, this book shows how you can manage your blood pressure naturally and see results in eight weeks or less.

In The Blood Pressure Cure, Robert Kowalski gives you step-by-step instructions for testing and monitoring your blood pressure, establishing new goals, and reaching them quickly. He includes simple ways to reduce stress and increase your physical activity without spending all your time at the gym. And he reveals five secret weapons for lowering blood pressure, including new supplements such as grapeseed and tomato extracts and Pycnogenol. Several recent major clinical studies have shown that these supplements can lower blood pressure as effectively as prescription drugs without the side effects. You'll also discover:

• How cocoa and wine can improve your blood pressure

• The connection between blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease

• Ways to make quitting smoking easier than ever

• Special advice for women, African Americans, older people, and people with diabetes

• A comprehensive guide to the latest prescription drugs to make it easier to navigate all your options

The Blood Pressure Cure contains lots of good news about eating, drinking, and your blood pressure. You'll learn that with simple changes, you can still enjoy many of your favorite foods. There's no need to give up the salt shaker, either—just balance the sodium in salt with other electrolytes by following the book's easy tips. Finally, Kowalski includes a selection of simple, delicious, heart-healthy recipes that will help you lower your blood pressure the natural way.

The latest medical standards for blood pressure will leave millions of people worried about "the silent killer" and wondering whether they need to take prescription drugs for the rest of their lives. You don't have to be among them. Start The Blood Pressure Cure today and take control of your health—in eight weeks or less.

Customer Reviews

Practical Alternatives to Drugs for BP
Robert Kowalski, author of "The Blood Pressure Cure," said that in order to lower your blood pressure without drugs, you should first know your blood pressure.

"What I really recommend is a home blood pressure monitor. It's no more expensive than bathroom scales," he said.


Kowalski said he has five secret weapons.

The first is a tomato extract called lycomato, a product made by several different brands.

Kowalski said that in two separate studies, "(Patients) took one pill (of lycomato) a day and it brought their blood pressure down eight to 11 points."

Kowalski said the next step is to have a nightly cup of cocoa -- not the mixes, but real cocoa filled with polyphenols -- and the darker the cocoa the better. He said to make it with skim milk and a little sweetener.

"What it does is relax the lining of the arteries called the endothelium, making it more flexible and pliable so that the blood can more easily flow through," he said.

The third step in the process is to take arginine, an amino acid. Kowalski said it's a precursor to nitric oxide.

"The nitric oxide again causes the lining of the artery to expand and relax," he said.

Kowalski said that because arginine is metabolized rapidly, he recommends a sustained release formula.

But a warning comes with arginine. In Kowalski's book, he warned about a Johns Hopkins study of arginine and heart attack patients.

"There were six deaths in the arginine group and no deaths in the placebo group. So, my recommendation would be not to use this until more studies show that it is safe," said Dr. Charles Cummings, a Baltimore cardiologist from Mid-Atlantic Cardiovascular.

The fourth step on Kowalsi's list includes taking MegaNatural BP grape seed extract. The extract is sold under a number of brand names. Kowalski's book cited studies that showed an eight- to 11-point drop in blood pressure.

No. 5 on Kowalski's list was pycnogenol, an antioxidant made from pine trees. He said it's another nitric oxide producer.

"Here's my little trick. (It's kind of like a) salt substitute. Instead of being sodium chloride, it's potassium chloride," he said.

Kowalski said people need more potassium to balance the sodium. He said if people don't like the taste of pycnogenol sprinkled on food, try cooking with it.

"You won't taste it, and at every meal it becomes high in potassium to blunt the sodium," he said.

Cummings said Kowalski made some very good points in his book.

"It is true that by adopting some of the changes he suggests, we can reduce our medications significantly. But the idea that someone who's been on blood pressure pills for a long time can get off them is completely is unrealistic," he said.

Kowalski said people with high blood pressure should at least know about the medications they are taking, but don't frown about them. He said that sends a message to the brain.

"The body perceives it as something is wrong. Cortisol and norepenephrine are released, causing the blood pressure and heart rate to go up," Kowalski said.

Kowalski had another tip for those with high blood pressure.

"Find a way every day just to be nice to yourself. It helps you reduce your blood pressure, and it's better than taking a pill," he said.

Kowalski also recommended deep breathing for two to three minutes, three or four times a day. He said it's another way to help bring your blood pressure down.

Good book to read Before you take the doc's drugs!

If you want to lower your blood pressure
Bob Kowalski's book "The Blood Pressure Cure" is for anyone that wants to take control of their elevated blood pressure and reduce it without resorting to prescription medication. He describes various ways to impact and lower blood pressure. A straight forward easily read book that gives practical advice and even includes recipes for tasty dishes to help lower blood pressure. I've read through the book twice and implemented some of his recommendations (my favorite is adding cocoa to my smoothies) with the result that I have lowered my systolic reading by 10 points! Highly recommended.

interesting book; not so practical or effective
I am an MD. This book is very anecdotal. Emphasizes some supplements that only have a bit of evidence backing them, and leaves out others with at least as much evidence.

Also, essentially promising that everyone will get at least some effect out of these ideas is wrong.

Personally, Ive now tried all of these supplements and the other recommendations. Got expensive quickly and MAYBE have had a few points reduction each in systolic and diastolic pressures when on the arginine, grapeseed extract, and the calcium/magnesium supplements. The others did nothing. Not able to reduce medications.Not sure if I will continue or not.

A disappointment compared to his cholesterol book.