Hello and welcome to
Health for a Lifetime.
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I'm your host Don Mackintosh.
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We're glad you're with us today.
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We're also glad that our
special guest, Dr. Victor Herry,
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is with us.
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Dr. Herry is a
specialist in internal medicine.
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He's also had schooling in
allergy and your immune system
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He practices in Washington,
D.C. since about 1982.
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Yes.
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So you've been
at this for a while.
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For a long time.
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One of the big concerns in
America, you were telling me,
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and the subject for
this program is hypertension.
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What exactly is hypertension?
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What is blood pressure?
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What are we going
to be talking about?
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Hypertension is a term
used for high blood pressure.
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Blood pressure is
the force of the heart.
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The heart is a pump and as
it pumps through the arteries of
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the body that
force is blood pressure.
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So when the heart pumps
you get the top blood pressure
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which is the systolic and when
the heart relaxes you get the
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bottom blood
pressure which is diastolic.
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The blood pressure is written
as numbers, one above the other,
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systolic and diastolic.
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Systolic is when the heart
pumps and then the other is
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when it relaxes.
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And hyper means -
higher than one expects.
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Higher tension
than one would expect.
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So what are those numbers
that we're looking at there?
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Normal blood pressure is less
than 120 over 80 millimeters of
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mercury - that's
normal blood pressure.
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So the top needs to be 120.
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If you have a blood pressure
of 120 over 80 that's normal.
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Anything above that is
referred to as pre-hyper tension
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when it falls
between 120 and 139.
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Then of course 140
and above is hypertension.
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And that too has stages.
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You have stage one
which is 140 over 90.
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Stage two begins at 160.
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So we have four categories.
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1. is normal blood
pressure 120 over 80 and lower.
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Then you have pre-hypertension
above 120 over 80 and
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less than 130 over 80-
that's pre-hypertension.
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Then you have stage one
hypertension which is above
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130 over 80.
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Then you have stage two
hypertension which is above 160.
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So these are numbers
given to us for hypertension.
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Now usually they say that when
you go to a doctor and they take
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your blood pressure it
goes up just because you're
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talking to a doctor.
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Well, there are some
people who have what is called
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"White Coat Hypertension. "
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That is they go in to an
environment to see the physician
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and the blood
pressure shoots up.
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and that is an
unusual situation.
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Those persons are sometimes
asked to check the blood
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pressure outside of
the doctor's office.
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That would determine
whether that person is
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hypertensive or not.
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What are some of the
symptoms of high blood pressure?
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You know it's very interesting
that you ask the question
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because hypertension is referred
to as the "silent killer. "
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There may be no symptoms at all.
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So the only way you
can determine if you are
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hypertensive is
that you must have your
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blood pressure checked.
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So you really need
to know your numbers,
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know where you stand on this.
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It's important to know
the numbers because one can
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not determine if one has
high blood pressure except
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one checks the blood pressure.
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What are the causes of high
blood pressure - hypertension?
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Causes vary.
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In some cases where
there are some diseases
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some blood pressure rises.
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Some of the causes would
be increased salt intake,
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for instance,
sedentary lifestyle,
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smoking cigarettes,
all of these can cause
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blood pressure to rise.
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Even drinking coffee can cause
your blood pressure to rise.
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So sedentary, you
mean sitting around?
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Yes, people who simply
do not exercise at all.
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They sit around and lack of
exercise certainly that causes
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the blood pressure to go up.
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So sedentary lifestyle, lack
of exercise, coffee drinking...
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how does that work?
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Well, that stimulates the heart.
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Anything that stimulates
the heart and causes it to beat
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faster can cause your
blood pressure to go up.
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Alcohol intake
does the same thing.
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A person may go into the
doctor's office after having had
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much alcohol and would
find that the blood pressure
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is elevated.
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So alcohol drinking can cause
your blood pressure to rise.
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Interesting.
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Any other causes
you want to bring out?
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Well, there are other
things one must consider.
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For instance, depending
upon groups - African American,
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for instance, have a
pre-disposition to high
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blood pressure.
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So being African American
is something that one must
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consider with
regards to hypertension.
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So what are the
statistics on that?
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Of course I'm not
African American but what
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are the statistics on the
number of African Americans
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as opposed to white Americans?
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In the United States, for
instance, there are 50 million
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hypertensive's,
approximately 1 in 4.
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That are diagnosed,
is that what you mean?
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Yes, diagnosed hypertensive's.
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So there are maybe those
who do not know that they have
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hypertension because they have
never checked their numbers.
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Talk to me a little bit
about these risk factors.
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Just being African
American is a risk factor?
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Being African
American is a risk factor.
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Being over age
35 is a risk factor.
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Smoking
cigarettes is a risk factor.
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Drinking alcohol
is a risk factor.
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Sedentary
lifestyle is a risk factor.
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Taking in too much sodium
or salt is also a risk factor.
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What it does tell
us is that hypertension
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is affected by lifestyle so that
if one changes one's lifestyle
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that can influence
whether that person may develop
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hypertension or not.
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Regular exercise - if you
get regular exercise daily
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that can reduce
your blood pressure.
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We need to talk about what
to do about this, but you said
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something, you gave me a list
of risk factors, but some of
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those are not things you
can do anything about with your
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lifestyle.
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Like the fact that I am 35
and a 1/2, or a little bit more.
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I can't do anything about that.
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That's true, because as
one ages the blood pressure
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tends to rise.
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However, if your
lifestyle is such that engenders
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lower blood pressure if you
exercise on a regular basis,
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that makes the arteries
more pliable and as a result the
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blood pressure goes down.
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You can't change your age but
you can change your lifestyle.
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So you actually, in a
sense, change your age through
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behavior patterns.
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What's the big deal?
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So I got a little hypertension!
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I mean you know, Doctor, I mean,
it's just numbers, what's the
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big deal?
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Are there any real effects?
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I'm so glad you asked
the question because as the
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blood pressure rises the
organs of the body are affected.
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Now, stroke is the
result of high blood pressure.
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Kidney disease is the
result of hypertension.
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Blindness can come as
a result of hypertension.
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So it is important to
recognize your numbers.
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Not only that, but the
heart is also effected.
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The heart can become enlarged
because the heart has to pump
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so much against that pressure.
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Now if you think
about lifting weights.
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As you lift more and more
weights your muscles become
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bigger and bigger.
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That's how you can muscles.
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It's the same
thing with the heart.
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As the heart pumps
against greater pressure,
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the heart enlarges.
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With high blood pressure the
effect on the body is that it
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causes enlargement of the heart
which can result in failure of
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the heart - a congestive heart
failure, the heart not being
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able to pump properly.
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It get's big for a while and it
helps but then it's not helpful.
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That's right.
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It's not healthy.
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So there are some real effects.
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The one person I was talking
with said that it even can
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effect your intelligence.
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Is that correct?
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Well, it can effect your
intelligence to the extent that
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the blood flow to
the brain is compromised.
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What happens with some of the
risk factors is they can cause
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the hardening of the arteries.
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As your arteries become harder
the blood flow to the brain
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becomes compromised.
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And of course, if that becomes
compromised then that can
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effect your thinking over time.
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Hypertension among the
African American community
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usually happens after 35 or do
we have hypertension happening
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even before that now?
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What we've noticed today, not
only in the African community
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but in many of the communities
in the United States, is that
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even children are
getting high blood pressure.
00:10:04.07\00:10:07.38
Part of that has to
do not only with genetics
00:10:07.42\00:10:10.70
but also in lifestyle.
00:10:10.73\00:10:12.21
We notice that children today
are not exercising as much as
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they used to.
00:10:16.14\00:10:17.11
With the computers at home,
with looking at television, and
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eating a lot, we have increased
weight gain - obesity - and
00:10:20.97\00:10:24.92
that's a problem.
00:10:24.96\00:10:25.93
That's one of the risk
factors of hypertension.
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We have children getting
hypertension, we have older
00:10:27.65\00:10:30.97
people getting hypertension.
00:10:31.00\00:10:32.42
Now talk to me about
that obesity, weight gain, and
00:10:32.46\00:10:35.01
hypertension.
00:10:35.04\00:10:36.01
How does that work?
00:10:36.02\00:10:37.76
What's the process?
00:10:37.79\00:10:39.34
If you think about it.
00:10:39.37\00:10:40.85
If you think about
the heart being a pump.
00:10:40.88\00:10:42.76
And you think about the
arteries being wires or tubes.
00:10:42.79\00:10:49.07
The greater the number of
tubes, the greater the distance
00:10:49.11\00:10:52.68
the heart has to pump,
the greater the force it uses.
00:10:52.71\00:10:56.69
So that as you gain weight
the heart has to pump harder
00:10:56.72\00:11:00.67
to get the blood all over.
00:11:00.70\00:11:02.08
And then the resistance caused
by the vessels not being very
00:11:02.11\00:11:06.71
pliable - so increased size
causes blood pressure to go up.
00:11:06.75\00:11:11.31
Increased size causes
resistance against the heart.
00:11:11.35\00:11:14.64
Someone told me it's about 200
miles per extra pound you weigh.
00:11:14.68\00:11:19.52
Have you ever read
anything about how many extra
00:11:19.56\00:11:22.14
miles it is?
00:11:22.17\00:11:23.77
Well, it is some miles.
00:11:23.80\00:11:25.04
The exact number I
don't recall at the moment.
00:11:25.07\00:11:27.38
But that's the problem.
00:11:27.41\00:11:29.40
It just overwhelms the pump.
00:11:29.44\00:11:31.32
That's exactly right.
00:11:31.35\00:11:33.31
Ok, detecting this.
00:11:33.35\00:11:35.24
We've talked about
taking a measurement with a
00:11:35.27\00:11:41.42
blood pressure cuff,
but are there any other ways
00:11:41.45\00:11:43.73
to detect it other than that?
00:11:43.76\00:11:45.14
There is no other way to detect
your blood pressure elevation
00:11:45.17\00:11:49.13
but to check
your blood pressure.
00:11:49.16\00:11:51.01
Every person who is 35 and
over, yet every young person
00:11:51.05\00:11:55.53
even in schools now, we
have school nurses checking the
00:11:55.57\00:12:00.12
blood pressure of children,
especially of those children
00:12:00.15\00:12:02.75
who are over weight.
00:12:02.79\00:12:04.01
One of the things noticed in
France, for instance, there is
00:12:04.05\00:12:08.08
such great increase in obesity
and here in the United States,
00:12:08.12\00:12:12.12
that the children are being
monitored for their weight.
00:12:12.15\00:12:16.13
So if you have increased
weight in childhood we recognize
00:12:16.17\00:12:19.47
that there is increase and
problems later on - increase
00:12:19.50\00:12:22.77
in high blood pressure.
00:12:22.80\00:12:24.10
But to know the blood pressure
you must have it checked.
00:12:24.13\00:12:28.40
There's no other way.
00:12:28.44\00:12:30.52
You can't say, "Well, I'm
feeling dizzy this morning
00:12:30.56\00:12:32.77
my blood pressure is
probably up and I'm not dizzy
00:12:32.81\00:12:34.99
today and my blood
pressure is down. "
00:12:35.02\00:12:36.66
It doesn't work that way.
00:12:36.69\00:12:38.06
So we really need
to know our numbers.
00:12:38.10\00:12:40.58
Yes, we do.
00:12:40.62\00:12:41.74
We've been talking
with Dr. Victor Herry.
00:12:41.77\00:12:43.76
We've been talking
about hypertension.
00:12:43.79\00:12:45.74
It's a real problem.
00:12:45.78\00:12:46.86
Once you get hypertension many
times it lasts for a lifetime.
00:12:46.90\00:12:49.88
But on Health For A Lifetime
we don't want it to last for
00:12:49.92\00:12:52.87
a lifetime.
00:12:52.91\00:12:53.88
We want to not just
know about the causes.
00:12:53.89\00:12:55.71
We want to have some good
news and I think we'll find some
00:12:55.74\00:12:58.94
about the cure.
00:12:58.97\00:12:59.96
Join us when we come back.
00:13:00.00\00:13:01.79
Are you confused about the
endless stream of new and often
00:13:03.78\00:13:07.77
contradictory
health information?
00:13:07.80\00:13:09.74
With companies
trying to sell new drugs?
00:13:09.77\00:13:12.12
Special interest groups paying
for studies that spin the facts?
00:13:12.15\00:13:15.63
Where can you find a
common sense approach to health?
00:13:15.67\00:13:18.78
One way is to ask for
your free copy of Dr. Arnott's
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24 Realistic Ways
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produced this helpful booklet
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tips based on:
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Welcome back.
00:14:03.74\00:14:04.71
We've been talking
with Dr. Victor Herry.
00:14:04.72\00:14:06.27
We've been talking
about hypertension.
00:14:06.30\00:14:08.19
Before the break we talked
about the causes of hypertension
00:14:08.22\00:14:12.15
and now we're going to
talk about what everybody wants
00:14:12.18\00:14:15.13
to know - the cure!
00:14:15.16\00:14:16.22
Is there a cure for
hypertension, Dr. Herry?
00:14:16.25\00:14:18.88
You ask about a cure.
00:14:18.91\00:14:20.87
Hypertension - the better word
I would like to say is control.
00:14:20.90\00:14:26.58
Now, in some disease states
that may cause hypertension,
00:14:26.61\00:14:30.48
such as, if there's a
tumor that's causing the
00:14:30.51\00:14:34.24
blood pressure to rise,
when you remove that tumor
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.52
then the blood
pressure goes away.
00:14:36.55\00:14:38.63
However, most hypertension
is called essential hypertension
00:14:38.66\00:14:43.20
meaning that we really
don't have any cause for it.
00:14:43.23\00:14:47.08
So, in those cases we
talk about the control
00:14:47.11\00:14:50.21
of the blood pressure.
00:14:50.24\00:14:51.58
Now you can control blood
pressure by, first of all, some
00:14:51.61\00:14:55.82
basic lifestyle changes.
00:14:55.85\00:14:57.70
1. Exercise
daily is very important
00:14:57.73\00:15:01.47
How long, what kind, where?
00:15:01.50\00:15:03.01
20 minutes
every day of exercise.
00:15:03.04\00:15:07.15
It could be aerobic
exercise, it could be walking,
00:15:07.18\00:15:10.24
it could be
swimming, any form of exercise
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.75
20 minutes per day would help
to reduce your blood pressure.
00:15:12.78\00:15:16.74
What about weight lifting?
00:15:16.77\00:15:17.88
Weight lifting is part
of exercise too but you need
00:15:17.91\00:15:21.10
some other kinds
other than weight lifting.
00:15:21.13\00:15:23.17
Ok, 20 minutes a day
at of exercise at least.
00:15:23.20\00:15:26.31
At least 20 minutes per day.
00:15:26.34\00:15:27.76
Exercise on a regular basis that
helps to lower blood pressure.
00:15:27.79\00:15:32.25
Now let's talk about exercise on
one side then you have to talk
00:15:32.28\00:15:36.59
about diet on the other.
00:15:36.62\00:15:37.78
Because exercise without
proper eating does not help.
00:15:37.81\00:15:41.88
So one has to eat properly.
00:15:41.91\00:15:43.59
What do I mean
by eating properly?
00:15:43.62\00:15:45.06
Look at your salt intake.
00:15:45.09\00:15:46.80
A low sodium diet is important
because earlier on we mentioned
00:15:46.83\00:15:51.12
that high sodium
causes blood pressure to rise.
00:15:51.15\00:15:54.10
So a low sodium diet is
very important with regards to
00:15:54.13\00:15:59.26
lowering your blood pressure.
00:15:59.29\00:16:01.24
I notice you say low but
you don't say, "no" sodium.
00:16:01.27\00:16:04.66
That's right.
00:16:04.69\00:16:05.66
I said not no but low.
00:16:05.67\00:16:06.89
Why do you say that?
00:16:06.92\00:16:08.47
Because no sodium
is almost impossible.
00:16:08.50\00:16:13.12
You require less than
2 grams of sodium a day.
00:16:13.15\00:16:18.23
In the American diet we
have over 3 to 5 grams of sodium
00:16:18.26\00:16:23.18
every day.
00:16:23.21\00:16:24.18
So we need to lower the
sodium content of our diet.
00:16:24.20\00:16:28.65
Ok, that's easy to say
but how would I do that?
00:16:28.68\00:16:30.83
I'm going to the store and
I want something low sodium
00:16:30.86\00:16:33.32
what do I stay away from?
00:16:33.35\00:16:34.66
First of all read your labels.
00:16:34.69\00:16:36.03
That's one thing.
00:16:36.06\00:16:38.77
The other aspect of
it is eat differently.
00:16:38.80\00:16:40.88
Fruits, vegetables, greens,
those are the kinds of things
00:16:40.91\00:16:44.92
that strengthen the body
and enable you to lower your
00:16:44.95\00:16:48.29
blood pressure also.
00:16:48.32\00:16:49.72
What about these
salt substitutes?
00:16:49.75\00:16:51.39
They put potassium in it.
00:16:51.42\00:16:55.19
I'm glad you
mentioned potassium.
00:16:55.22\00:16:57.83
It has been found that
potassium lowers blood pressure
00:16:57.86\00:17:01.17
so that any diet high in
potassium would help to lower
00:17:01.20\00:17:05.60
blood pressure.
00:17:05.63\00:17:06.60
So in your diet if you eat
high potassium foods, assuming
00:17:06.61\00:17:11.86
however, that you do
not have kidney disease.
00:17:11.89\00:17:14.17
Because high potassium foods
would be lethal in a person
00:17:14.20\00:17:18.31
who has kidney disease.
00:17:18.34\00:17:19.31
Assuming that your
kidneys function very well, then
00:17:19.32\00:17:23.72
your fruits, vegetables,
greens are all very important
00:17:23.75\00:17:27.45
in terms of aiding your
lifestyle and lowering your
00:17:27.48\00:17:31.61
blood pressure.
00:17:31.64\00:17:32.61
So we've
mentioned exercise and diet.
00:17:32.62\00:17:35.64
Those are two
very important things.
00:17:35.67\00:17:37.83
Now one of the things
you mentioned in the pamphlet
00:17:37.86\00:17:40.95
you've written, "All You
Need to Know About Hypertension"
00:17:40.98\00:17:44.52
you mention the DASH diet.
00:17:44.55\00:17:48.13
Is this what the DASH diet is?
00:17:48.16\00:17:50.54
It's a diet that talks about
less than a 2,000 calories a day
00:17:50.57\00:17:55.37
diet and you have vegetables,
fruits, make sure you drink
00:17:55.40\00:18:00.89
enough water, and lower the
sodium content of your eating.
00:18:00.92\00:18:06.18
I sometimes do not like to
push people to a specific diet.
00:18:06.21\00:18:11.20
But give them the understanding
of how they should eat.
00:18:11.23\00:18:16.27
Fruits, vegetables, grains,
those things, then lower your
00:18:16.30\00:18:21.94
sodium, increase
your exercise activity.
00:18:21.97\00:18:25.30
Those are things that enable us
to have a healthier lifestyle.
00:18:25.33\00:18:30.21
You talk about
Health for a Lifetime.
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.49
Those are the things we
want to put in so that over your
00:18:33.52\00:18:36.81
lifetime you can have
a lower blood pressure.
00:18:36.84\00:18:39.54
Now we mentioned earlier that
you already have hypertension.
00:18:39.57\00:18:42.72
These lifestyle changes
help in lowering blood pressure,
00:18:42.75\00:18:47.34
getting rid of obesity, lowering
the fat content of your diet,
00:18:47.37\00:18:52.16
lowering your cholesterol.
00:18:52.19\00:18:53.46
Now those are important.
00:18:53.49\00:18:55.74
And then of course
having done all of those things
00:18:55.77\00:18:58.80
then we can talk
about medications.
00:18:58.83\00:19:01.87
Ok, so lifestyle things first
then talk about medications.
00:19:01.90\00:19:06.59
But before we get there, the
lifestyle approach... let's say
00:19:06.62\00:19:11.30
someone goes out and
starts to adopt this.
00:19:11.33\00:19:14.66
How soon will their
blood pressure go down?
00:19:14.69\00:19:16.52
It's difficult to give you
any specific time but after
00:19:16.55\00:19:21.87
exercising for at least 3
months you will notice that
00:19:21.90\00:19:27.18
there is a change
in your blood pressure.
00:19:27.22\00:19:30.06
Now if you were to exercise.
00:19:30.09\00:19:31.77
Five minutes after you exercise
you will notice that your
00:19:31.81\00:19:37.22
blood pressure will drop from
00:19:37.26\00:19:38.75
your exercise blood pressure
to your resting blood pressure
00:19:38.78\00:19:42.02
and will even drop below your
normal resting blood pressure.
00:19:42.05\00:19:45.25
Now how does that work?
00:19:45.29\00:19:46.49
What is the physiology of that?
00:19:46.52\00:19:51.24
Now you've put me to
the test! - laughter -
00:19:51.28\00:19:54.33
What happens here is this.
00:19:54.37\00:19:56.56
During exercise the vessels,
the arteries of the body become
00:19:56.60\00:20:02.96
pliable.
00:20:02.99\00:20:03.98
So the smooth muscles of the
arteries as they become pliable
00:20:04.01\00:20:10.67
when one exercises the arteries
expand and the expansion of the
00:20:10.70\00:20:17.33
arteries cause the
blood pressure to drop.
00:20:17.36\00:20:19.67
Those are some of the
things that really help us here.
00:20:19.70\00:20:24.32
Now, one other thing.
00:20:24.36\00:20:25.79
You said exercise and then you
said diet, fruits, nuts, grains,
00:20:25.83\00:20:29.65
vegetables, in other words
foods as grown, but the real
00:20:29.69\00:20:34.10
issue with people many
times... ok they got their
00:20:34.13\00:20:36.15
collard greens but then they
add butter or other toppings.
00:20:36.19\00:20:40.98
What do you tell your
patients about the toppings?
00:20:41.02\00:20:44.16
Let's remember that increased
cholesterol causes hardening
00:20:44.20\00:20:50.34
of the arteries.
00:20:50.37\00:20:51.34
Therefore, your diet should
be one that would tend to lower
00:20:51.38\00:20:55.62
your cholesterol.
00:20:55.66\00:20:56.91
Because high cholesterol
causes hardening of the arteries
00:20:56.94\00:21:00.72
resulting in
higher blood pressure.
00:21:00.76\00:21:02.44
Ok, now here's another
dilemma as I listen to you.
00:21:02.47\00:21:04.79
You say, "Wait a minute,
try the lifestyle first. "
00:21:04.83\00:21:07.08
But let's say you have what
you term malignant hypertension
00:21:07.12\00:21:10.24
You're 160 in your systolic, the
top number and you're in danger.
00:21:10.27\00:21:16.27
Would you give them medication
and then have them do the others
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.93
until it got down?
00:21:18.96\00:21:19.93
Certainly, medication
comes first in such a case.
00:21:19.94\00:21:23.85
Now, if you are in
the pre-hypertensive stage
00:21:23.88\00:21:27.88
which we mentioned earlier
on, it would be a blood pressure
00:21:27.91\00:21:30.53
of 130 over 80- pre-hypertension
00:21:30.56\00:21:33.26
That's where lifestyle changes
become very, very important.
00:21:33.29\00:21:37.81
It's important throughout the
gamut, the spectrum, however,
00:21:37.84\00:21:42.33
if your blood pressure is
already high 160 over 100 or
00:21:42.36\00:21:46.74
160 over 90,
medication becomes important.
00:21:46.78\00:21:49.62
Let's talk about the medication.
00:21:49.66\00:21:51.15
There are up sides to
it and down sides to it.
00:21:51.19\00:21:53.51
I'm sure you might
mention both of those.
00:21:53.54\00:21:55.29
What are the up sides, what are
the kinds of medicines you give
00:21:55.33\00:21:58.29
people and what can be
some of the down sides?
00:21:58.32\00:22:00.01
There are various
categories of medications
00:22:00.05\00:22:01.89
that physicians use.
00:22:01.92\00:22:03.50
There are diuretics and those
are fluid pills, so to speak,
00:22:03.54\00:22:08.03
that causes reduction in volume.
00:22:08.07\00:22:10.57
Reduction in blood
volume reduces blood pressure.
00:22:10.61\00:22:14.04
Then there are medications
like calcium channel blockers
00:22:14.08\00:22:17.37
that prevents calcium
from entering into the cells.
00:22:17.40\00:22:21.42
As calcium is stopped
from entering into the cells
00:22:21.46\00:22:25.41
these vessels dilate and cause
the blood pressure to go down.
00:22:25.45\00:22:31.13
Then there are beta blockers.
00:22:31.17\00:22:33.05
Beta blockers are those
medications that slow the
00:22:33.08\00:22:37.20
heart down.
00:22:37.24\00:22:38.21
And as they slow the heart down,
that decreases the force and
00:22:38.22\00:22:42.27
decreases blood pressure.
00:22:42.31\00:22:43.82
Then there are other
newer medications such as
00:22:43.85\00:22:47.64
ACE inhibitors.
00:22:47.68\00:22:48.85
Those work in different ways
but they all work to lower your
00:22:48.89\00:22:52.95
blood pressure.
00:22:52.98\00:22:54.19
It's your job to figure out
what's the best for that person.
00:22:54.22\00:22:59.43
For that
particular patient, yes.
00:22:59.46\00:23:00.79
That is probably just a
fine balancing act depending on
00:23:00.83\00:23:05.56
what's going on with them.
00:23:05.59\00:23:07.12
One has to balance it
very carefully because every
00:23:07.15\00:23:10.35
medication may
have some side effects.
00:23:10.39\00:23:12.14
One has to choose the patient
and choose the medication
00:23:12.18\00:23:15.93
for that particular patient.
00:23:15.96\00:23:17.98
What are some of
those side effects?
00:23:18.01\00:23:20.56
Because lots of people in this
culture... you watch the news
00:23:20.59\00:23:24.40
and you notice that
usually on the nightly news
00:23:24.44\00:23:27.89
the companies that buy those
slots before or during the news,
00:23:27.92\00:23:32.97
which is when lots of
people watch television,
00:23:33.00\00:23:34.68
are drug companies.
00:23:34.72\00:23:36.76
They're talking about their
medications and it's almost
00:23:36.79\00:23:39.61
as if I've got that problem
there's got to be a drug for it.
00:23:39.65\00:23:42.75
Are there down sides?
00:23:42.78\00:23:44.69
There are side
effects of every medication.
00:23:44.72\00:23:47.62
However, it is the physician's
responsibility to determine
00:23:47.66\00:23:51.37
which medication
has the minimum effect
00:23:51.41\00:23:55.86
on that particular patient.
00:23:55.90\00:23:57.37
So it is an individual
thing between the physician
00:23:57.41\00:24:00.69
and the patient to determine
which medication is best
00:24:00.72\00:24:03.97
for the patient.
00:24:04.00\00:24:05.03
In dealing with
blood pressure one has to,
00:24:05.06\00:24:09.11
as we mentioned before,
lifestyle changes become
00:24:09.15\00:24:11.89
very important.
00:24:11.92\00:24:12.97
I would mention that because
prevention is better than cure.
00:24:13.00\00:24:18.15
Since when you develop
hypertension there is no cure
00:24:18.18\00:24:21.86
but there is control.
00:24:21.90\00:24:23.32
Lifestyle change in the
pre-hypertensive state is
00:24:23.36\00:24:27.11
extremely important.
00:24:27.14\00:24:28.21
So prevention for a lifetime
is important in controlling
00:24:28.25\00:24:33.44
your blood pressure.
00:24:33.47\00:24:34.66
We've talked about
exercise, diet, medication.
00:24:34.70\00:24:40.14
Is there anything else in trying
to get a grip on this in terms
00:24:40.17\00:24:44.99
of education
that needs to happen?
00:24:45.02\00:24:47.88
The patient must be educated as
to the danger of hypertension.
00:24:47.92\00:24:53.02
Because hypertension is
a very dangerous disease
00:24:53.05\00:24:56.14
and it is a disease.
00:24:56.17\00:24:57.67
Let us not forget it.
00:24:57.70\00:24:59.13
It is a disease that has its
toll in billions of dollars on
00:24:59.17\00:25:04.10
this society and world wide.
00:25:04.13\00:25:07.68
It is responsible for
many heart attacks, strokes,
00:25:07.72\00:25:13.04
congestive heart failure,
blindness, debility where people
00:25:13.08\00:25:22.42
are unable to
carry out their function.
00:25:22.45\00:25:25.48
It is the disease that in the
early stages that one can get a
00:25:25.52\00:25:34.20
grip on before the
body's effected totally
00:25:34.24\00:25:37.69
by that disease.
00:25:37.73\00:25:38.89
We've been talking
with Dr. Victor Herry.
00:25:38.92\00:25:41.63
We've been talking
about hypertension and we've
00:25:41.67\00:25:45.01
got a really good picture
from you of what the problem is
00:25:45.04\00:25:48.83
and some solutions.
00:25:48.86\00:25:50.38
Now you also are a
Christian physician.
00:25:50.42\00:25:53.35
Are there spiritual aspects
to blood pressure control
00:25:53.38\00:25:58.10
or disease that you bring in
as you talk to your patients?
00:25:58.14\00:26:02.52
One of the things that may cause
blood pressure to continue to
00:26:02.56\00:26:06.91
stay high is stress.
00:26:06.94\00:26:09.11
Now we all live
in a world of stress.
00:26:09.14\00:26:12.44
We can't get away from stress.
00:26:12.48\00:26:13.90
But as a Christian one of
the things that we are taught
00:26:13.94\00:26:17.52
is to take it and lay it
at the feet of the Master,
00:26:17.55\00:26:21.10
isn't that correct?
00:26:21.13\00:26:22.10
That's right.
00:26:22.11\00:26:23.08
When we learn to do
that, we learn to elevate
00:26:23.09\00:26:26.06
and reduce our stressors.
00:26:26.09\00:26:27.27
And reduction of stress is
a very important factor in the
00:26:27.30\00:26:31.29
control of blood pressure.
00:26:31.33\00:26:32.79
Do you pray with your patients?
00:26:32.83\00:26:34.07
With those who request it.
00:26:34.10\00:26:35.89
Wonderful!
00:26:35.93\00:26:37.23
We've been talking
with Dr. Victor Herry.
00:26:37.26\00:26:38.84
We've been talking about
blood pressure, its causes, and
00:26:38.88\00:26:43.01
not its cure but
rather it's control.
00:26:43.04\00:26:46.76
I really encourage you if you've
been watching, to know your
00:26:46.80\00:26:50.52
numbers.
00:26:50.56\00:26:51.53
We've heard this message
again and again from Dr. Herry,
00:26:51.54\00:26:53.64
isn't that right?
00:26:53.68\00:26:54.65
Let's go out, get
your blood pressure taken.
00:26:54.66\00:26:56.63
Secondly, know
your family history.
00:26:56.67\00:27:00.03
We haven't talked a lot about
that but if you're from a family
00:27:00.07\00:27:03.47
history of hypertension make
doubly sure you get it checked
00:27:03.50\00:27:07.02
and then know how you can
control it through lifestyle,
00:27:07.06\00:27:11.48
what you eat, how you exercise,
your relationship with God,
00:27:11.52\00:27:15.91
and of course medication
may be something you need.
00:27:15.95\00:27:19.03
Check in with your
physician about that.
00:27:19.06\00:27:20.85
Dr. Herry, we're really thankful
you've joined us from that busy
00:27:20.88\00:27:24.46
practice there
in Washington, D.C.
00:27:24.49\00:27:25.83
Glad you could be with us.
00:27:25.87\00:27:27.89
Thank you kindly.
00:27:27.92\00:27:28.89
And we're also glad that
you could be with us today
00:27:28.90\00:27:31.04
on Health for a Lifetime.
00:27:31.08\00:27:32.22
You know, with such
a significant problem
00:27:32.25\00:27:36.03
like hypertension
we're aware of some of the
00:27:36.07\00:27:39.78
things we can do but most
importantly what God can do.
00:27:39.82\00:27:42.75
We're thankful that God
has inspired people to go into
00:27:42.79\00:27:45.69
medicine like Dr. Herry.
00:27:45.72\00:27:47.09
But he also can inspire
you to take charge of your life
00:27:47.13\00:27:52.28
to get that blood pressure
checked and to find out how
00:27:52.31\00:27:57.43
to have health that
lasts for a lifetime.
00:27:57.47\00:28:00.71