“One of the first duties of the physician

is to educate the masses not to take medicine.”

-          Sir William Osler, (1849-1919) Noted English Physician

It is obvious that today’s M.D.’s do not adhere to Dr. Osler’s proclamation regarding the use and abuse of medicine, i.e., prescription drugs. As the old saying goes, “When a hammer is all you’ve been taught how to use, the whole world looks like a nail” is applicable to today’s medical professional whose training is paid in part by grants from large drug companies.  

“It is never too late to start on blood pressure drugs,” said Dr. Nigel Beckett of Imperial College in London, who led a recent study on blood pressure drugs.

But wait, isn’t high blood pressure a lifestyle ailment which can be effectively treated and readily correctible with lifestyle changes, diet, and nutritional therapy? Not according to the drug companies who spend billions of dollars each year advertising the need for powerful synthetic substances to control and manage blood pressure!

So pervasive and successful has pharmaceutical advertising become that patients have been taught to believe high blood pressure means drug treatment for life. And if you dare to go off your medication, you will die!

The fact such blatantly misleading advertising is allowed by the FTC and FDA demonstrates they have become corrupted by the influence and money of the powerful drug lobby and their billions of dollars.

Let’s compare the most popular blood pressure drugs to the natural ingredients found in Titan’s Factor Fifteen: Systol-D:

Diuretics help your body get rid of unneeded water and salt through the urine. Getting rid of excess salt and fluid helps lower blood pressure and can make it easier for your heart to pump. They may also raise cholesterol, make diabetes worse, and make some types of heart disease worse.

Examples of prescription diuretics are Esidrix, Lasix, Bumex and Aldactone.

Side effects include weakness, dizziness, impotence, and dehydration.  

Vs.

Factor Fifteen: Systol-D contains concentrated celery seed powder, a natural diuretic clinically shown to lower blood pressure and also reduce cholesterol.

Side effects: None.

Beta-blockers are beta-adrenergic blocking agents which block the binding of adrenaline-like chemicals and prevent the increases in heart rate and muscular contractions that raise blood pressure.

Examples of prescription beta-blockers are acebutolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, Metoprolol, and nadolol.

Side effects include swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, slow or uneven heartbeats, feeling light-headed, fainting, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and depression.

                                                Vs.

Factor Fifteen: Systol-D incorporates Chamomile, standardized to one percent Apigenin, shown to regulate and normalize blood pressure because of its strong calming effect.  Additionally, hawthorn berry is utilized to help the heart muscle pump more efficiently while normalizing irregular heart beat.

Side effects: None.

Ace inhibitors inhibit the activity of a blood constricting enzyme called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) which produces angiotensin II, a potent chemical that causes the muscles surrounding blood vessels to contract and thereby narrow the blood vessels. As a result, the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure is reduced.

Examples of prescription ace inhibitors are captopril, benazepril (Lotensin), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), fosinopril (Monopril), ramipril (Altace), moexipril (Univasc), and trandolapril (Mavik).

Side effects include cough, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, weakness, abnormal taste (metallic or salty taste) and rash. Serious side effects are kidney failure, allergic reactions, swelling of tissues, and birth defects.

                                               Vs.

Factor Fifteen: Systol-D integrates a synergistic combination of 18% forskolin extract (from the Coleus forskohlii root) and Hawthorn berry concentrate. Forskolin has been shown to relax arteries and smooth muscles of the heart while Hawthorn supports the action of the body to block the blood constricting enzyme ACE.

 Side effects: None.

Vasodilators are drugs that dilate blood vessels. They work directly on the muscles in the walls of the arteries, preventing them from narrowing. As a result, blood pressure is reduced. Vasodilators are potent chemicals and generally used only as a last resort.

Examples of prescription vasodilators are hydralazine hydrochloride (Apresoline) and minoxidil (Loniten)

Side effects include chest pain, heart palpitations, edema, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, flushing, headache, nasal congestion and excessive hair growth. Serious side effects include the increased risk of developing lupus, a connective tissue disease.

                                              Vs.

Factor Fifteen: Systol-D incorporates UBIQUINONE – commonly known as Coenzyme Q10, a naturally occurring nutrient clinically shown to lower blood pressure more effective and safer than anti-hypertensive drugs.

Side effects: None.

Blood thinners (anticoagulants) are drugs that do not really thin the blood. Rather, they decrease the blood’s ability to clot. Decreased clotting keeps fewer harmful blood clots from forming and blocking blood vessels.

Examples of prescription anticoagulants are Coumadin (warfarin), Dicumarol, Miradon (anisinidione) and heparin (injected).

Side effects include bloating, gas, diarrhea, upset stomach, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Note: the major side effect of heparin was sudden death caused by contamination of the primary active ingredient made in China and derived from processed pig intestines.    

                                             Vs.

Factor Fifteen: Systol-D includes ginkgo biloba extract with 24% Flavoglycosides which studies indicate can assist the body’s ability to reduce blood ‘stickiness’, thus lowering the risk of blood clots.

Side effects: None.

Calcium channel blockers are drugs which decrease the force of contraction of the muscle of the heart. During the past decade these drugs have become widely used in the treatment of angina and hypertension despite lack of demonstrated clinical benefit in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension.

Examples of prescription calcium channel blockers are Norvasc, Cardizem, Dilacor XR, Adalat, and Procardia.

Side effects include increased risk of myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and cancer.

                                          Vs.

Factor Fifteen: Systol-D contains no natural ingredients which act to decrease contraction of the heart muscle. Decreasing the force of your natural heartbeat to lower your blood pressure is like shooting yourself in the head to get rid of a migraine! 

It is interesting to note that the Joint National Committee on the Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI) advocates the use of diuretics and beta blockers only as first-line therapy. Their position is based on the fact these are the only two classes of drugs that have demonstrated benefits in morbidity and mortality when used to treat patients with hypertension. (JNC VI. Arch Intern Med 1997; 157:2413-45)

So why are people prescribed all these classes of blood pressure and cholesterol lowering drugs when they have proven to be not only ineffective but often dangerous and life-threatening?

Consider this:

 Sales of the 20 biggest selling cardiovascular branded drugs in 2005 amounted to US$54.5 billion from a total market of around US$75 billion, based on reported sales figures.

The world’s largest selling drug - Pfizer’s cardiovascular Lipitor (atorvastatin) - had sales of US$12.2 billion in 2005.

By comparison, total supplement sales for all complimentary and alternative medicines (CAM) amounted to $1.24 billion.            

Now consider that, according to a June 2008 health report in The New York Times, “Drug Resistant High Blood Pressure is on the Rise.” This is hardly surprising when you realize that drugs are synthetic, non-natural substances alien to the human body. Prolonged drug usage insults the body and derogates its ability to maintain homeostasis, i.e., a healthy internal equilibrium. The body therefore attempts to resist this alien substance.

All things considered, doctor, shouldn’t you be advising your patients of the benefits of natural blood pressure management incorporating natural nutritional therapy and lifestyle modifications? After all, hypertension is a common and readily correctible lifestyle ailment.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) states, "The adoption of healthy lifestyles by all persons is critical for the prevention of high blood pressure and is an indispensable part of the management of those with hypertension."