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Written By: Agencies | Published : October 21, 2013 12:12 PM IST
With strokes or brain attacks on the rise in India, an expert on Sunday stressed on the monitoring of high blood pressure - a prime cause of such attacks and called for them to be taken as seriously as heart attacks.
Hypertension (HTN) or high blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes where a clot in a blood vessel in the brain restricts the flow of blood to a part of the brain. It could also happen when a blood vessel breaks interrupting blood flow. (Read: 10 diet tips for hypertension)
'The fact of the matter is that HTN control is not well done here (India) and it should be regularly monitored to prevent strokes. Brain attack is as serious as heart attack and attention should be given to this issue,' said neurologist T.K. Banerjee, working at Peerless Hospital and B.K.Roy Research Centre in Kolkata.
Banerjee was speaking at the 'Medicon International 2013' organised in Kolkata by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in collaboration with the Peerless Hospital and the centre.
Other causes of brain strokes include smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia (high levels of cholesterol in blood) and central obesity or belly fat.
Banerjee pointed out that south Asians have higher prevalence of the causative factors in comparison to Caucasians.
'Over time strokes have increased exponentially in India,' he added.
Herbal remedies for hypertension
Several herbs have been used in traditional medicine to treat hypertension and here we present a few such remedies.
Garlic
Garlic has been found useful in patients whose blood pressure is mildly elevated. It is believed that allicin in garlic increases the production of nitric oxide and this helps to relax the muscles of the arteries, reducing both the diastolic as well as the systolic blood pressure. To get the entire benefits of garlic, it is recommended that you peel and lightly crush the fresh garlic and consume it raw. However, garlic also has the property of thinning blood and this means the clotting ability of blood is reduced; so it is best to use garlic supplements only after you consult your doctor.
Karpuravalli
Coleus forskohlii is the Karpuravalli plant that is grown in many home gardens in South India. In research studies, it has been found to relax the smooth muscles of the arteries and this helps to lower blood pressure. It is also said to make the heartbeat stronger and slow down the pulse. Certain studies have evaluated the action of Karpuravalli tablets and chewable pills and found it helps reduce blood pressure in the elderly.
Drum Sticks
Obtained from the Moringa oleifera plant, drum sticks, called Sahjan in Hindi, are known for their high content of protein and valuable vitamins and minerals. Studies have found that extracts from the leaves of this plant help to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The best way to harness this benefit is to cook drumsticks with lentils or dal. (Read more: Herbal remedies for hypertension)
With inputs from IANS
