Pace -
There has to be a better way than medicating patients with poisonous damaging drugs?
In a lot of people (no, not everybody), there is a much better way. Avoid the risk factors that contribute to it from a young age:
- Never smoke
- Eat a healthy diet - low fat, low salt
- Maintain a health weight
- Take regular aerobic exercise
- Moderate alcohol intake - no more than 2 standard drinks a day, and at least 2 AFDs a week
But, if despite all of this, your blood pressure is high (and you will only know if you get it checked), the sooner it is brought back to an acceptable level the less damage will be done to your heart, kidneys, blood vessels, etc.
Nobody likes taking a lot of pills, but it is probably better than an early death, being permanently disabled by a stroke, or becoming a cardiovascular cripple.
The news story you presented is very misleading. While it is important work,
not one person in the study was rendered medication free, nor was their hypertension "cured". The procedure may offer an additional way of managing severe hypertension which responds poorly to medication, but there is no data on the long term effects at this time.
Cheers,
BM