Published June 29, 2002 in the North Island Weekender
Most men I see come in complaining of fatigue, elevated blood pressure, or digestive problems. I know that men don’t seek out medical attention unless they are really sick. A recent poll indicated that 44% of men agree with this statement. I therefore listen very carefully when a man complains as he often down plays symptoms which may turn out to be more serious.
Al, age 53, came in stating that he wanted to see if naturopathic medicine would help him lower his blood pressure as he wanted to avoid the medications prescribed by his doctor. He was diagnosed with elevated blood pressure the week before but had put off seeing the doctor for the headaches he was getting. 37% of men put off seeing the doctor when they have a medical problem. He had started walking 30 minutes three times per week.
During his first visit I explained that I wanted him to check his blood pressure at home as up to 60% of elevated blood pressure is due to white coat syndrome, a blood pressure which is only elevated in the doctor’s office. He bought a blood pressure unit and I had him bring it into the office to make sure he knew how to work it and to make sure it was accurate. His readings in the office were 150/95. I also sent him home with my first line of treatment for blood pressure. This includes a cleansing program for two weeks (a vegetarian diet can often lower blood pressure in 2-4 weeks!), a good quality calcium magnesium supplement, CoQ10, Flora Flaxoil 1 tbsp per day, a good multivitamin/mineral and CoQ10.
Al called in his daily blood pressure readings for one week. I had him take it first thing in the morning when he was the most relaxed. He didn’t have white coat syndrome. He had the same readings at home as he had in the office.
Within a few weeks his readings were coming down to 140/90 to 138/88 so I was happy that the program was helping.
By this time we had the results back from the chemistry panel we did on him. His cholesterol was elevated along with the bad LDL’s and the good HDL’s were too low, his triglycerides were too high, and his fasting blood sugar was 6.0 which is too high for my liking.
I emphasized to him that the carbohydrates in his diet such as sweets and breads were much more of a problem than the fats, although I recommend that he consume healthy fats such as flaxoil and olive oil rather than margarine and hydrogenated oils found in baked goods and fried foods. We increased his protein intake and lowered the carbohydrates and for the first time in years his cravings for sweets and his intestinal gas decreased.
I had also done a prostate test called the PSA and a stool for occult blood. The PSA is a screening test for prostate inflammation or cancer, and although it isn’t always accurate I encourage men to have it done yearly and watch their values. If they start to see them creep up then I get onto it right away!
As colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in North America, men and women over the age of forty should be having a yearly stool for occult blood. What this is checking for is blood in the stool that you can’t see, that is why they call it “occult”. Al’s results on both of these tests were good. However I encouraged Al to take selenium daily to prevent prostate cancer and to increase his intake of fiber and fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of colon cancer. I also reminded him that the calcium and magnesium he was taking was not only helping to reduce his blood pressure, but was also preventing heart disease and colon cancer!
Al hasn’t been in for a while now. He is at his target weight, his energy is back and his blood pressure is 120/80. His headaches are gone and his blood fats and sugars are coming down nicely with his lifestyle change. His wife is happier too as he is less irritable!
Dr. Pincott has been
practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in
Campbell River. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com