Recently I decided to manage my own blood pressure. I don't know how typical my experiences are, but my numbers have improved from what I was getting under a physician's care.

When I first was diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure, my physician advised me to lose weight and exercise more. I lost about 10 lbs and I tried to miss less days of my two mile walks, but I also began taking a medication. Eventually I was taking 2 medications. My home blood pressure monitor was showing I was okay, near 120/80, but in the doctor's office I had higher readings.

I am self-employed and have only catastrophic medical insurance, so I was paying for both my doctor visits and the drugs. I found out my insurance would pay for a annual physical (but not for the blood draw or tests that went with it). So I scheduled an annual physical. To my surprise my doctor insisted he could not do an annual physical unless I had a pre-physical doctor visit - for $75. He could give no medical explanation of the need for a visit, so I said no thanks and went out to seek alternatives.

Two weeks later I ran out of medications, but I was already getting better readings, so I just kept on course.

My business consists of doing research and analysis, which I mostly do by Internet. So I started educating myself more on blood pressure.

My single most important finding is that the old-fashioned method my doctor uses for measuring blood pressure is notoriously innacurate. It is both subject to human error and to being high from the anxiety associated with being in a doctor's office. Electronic devices, both in the home and in clinics, are more accurate. Your blood pressure at home, when you are feeling relaxed, is the best indicator of your health.

My main form of relaxation is reading. I found that what I read affected my blood pressure! For instance, reading something political, if it made me mad, raised the pressure. Reading a gardening catalog gave me the lowest readings. Clearly remaining calm, and getting upset as little as possible, is a key to healthy blood pressure.

My wife really likes salt in the diet. I used to have very little salt in my diet. So I decided to cut back on salty things, particularly the olives and salty goat cheeses she likes to add to salads. I also started dressing my salads with vinegar and oil, no salt. I'm not a fanatic, I just have started avoiding the saltiest foods.

I finally lost more weight, another 6 pounds so far. I work at

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