I received an email asking about a post I published a bit back about beet juice and hypertension. The reason that beet juice helps in lowering high blood pressure because they are high in dietary nitrate and increase the amount of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide (NO) helps blood vessels relax, lowering blood pressure. Nitric oxide has anti-inflammatory activity and discourages blood clot formation.
The research that supported this stated that two cups (500 ml) of beet juice lowered blood pressure by approximately 10 points and the effect lasts up to 24 hours.
I hope that helps and good luck!

Thanks to Rita- we have another great question! So here is our Dear Kendra for the weekend.
Just curious if roller coaster’s are out for all children with congenital heart defects? My son has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and is getting to the age where he is asking to ride the more adult, scarier rides. Let me know if anyone out there has HLHS or a child with HLHS and share your experience.
Thanks
Rita- Thanks for the question again. Roller coasters… ahhh! I personally find them very scary and the thought of my kids getting on them is even scarier, …read more

I received a lot of feedback on my last post about new guidelines for resistant hypertension. And I thank you for that! So this morning I am going to take a few of the simpler questions that came across, tie them together and do a little Dear Hearty Life of sorts.
Is resistant high blood pressure resistant to exercise and diet regimens and can it be genetic?
Resistant hypertension is high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment. It is defined as blood pressure that remains elevated above treatment goals despite administration of a three drug regimen usually including a …read more

Not everyone is taking the their Dear Doctor letter so seriously. Jon Rochetti of The DC Traveler wants to travel worry-free and has a suggestion for his doctor.
Dear Doctor,
Could you prescribe an anti-anxiety drug for my 80 year old father? I need him to start taking one to help relieve my anxiety about his health.
Jon
*ripping tearing sounds* Now that’s a Dear Doctor letter I’m not sending out!
Technorati Tags: doctors, physicians, letters, medicine, health

Today’s Dear Doctor letter comes from Karen of Thrifty Mommy. Her husband has been through quite a lot of medical treatment lately and here’s what she’d like to tell their doctors.
Dear Doctor,
Why don’t you listen to us? We are living in these bodies everyday. We are also watching our kids grow and learn. We know when something isn’t quite right.
One of my first bad experiences was when I was about 17 years old. I kept having dizzy spells (not the blonde kind). My mom took me to the doctor and I remember that she looked in my right ear …read more

Cory of Baldiness was feeling a little guilty about trashing his doctors in the kick-off of the Dear Doctor series so he’s back to heap praise on them this time.
To my dentist:
Thanks for nearly 20 years of dental care, for recommending a good oral surgeon (wisdom teeth), and for being someone my wife and daughter actually look forward to seeing.
To Kerri’s obstetrician:
Thanks for being someone I can trust with my wife and the birth of all my kids. There’s a reason we’ve told all our friends you’re the best in town.
Group hug!
Technorati Tags: doctors, physicians, heart disease, heart, diseases, illness, …read more

Jokes about hospital gowns never end. Here’s one from GetAmused.com:
When the hospital gives you one of those skimpy gowns, you know the end is in sight.
And I’m sure Kim of Blog Fabulous agrees. Here’s her Dear Doctor letter with a fantastic suggestion.
Dear Doctor,
Is it too much to ask that you provide patients with less humiliating and warmer office robes? I hear that Ralph Lauren is coming out with Polo MD…I hear they are Fabulous.
Kim
I’m bringing my own next time. Ha!
Technorati Tags: hospital gowns, heart, heart disease, doctors, letters, diseases, illness, health

In today’s Dear Doctor letter, Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 is full of questions. If only her doctor could provide some satisfactory answers.
Dear Doctor,
Why were you happy when your simple blood test diagnosed my hyperthyroidism? Why didn’t you take the time to explain to me what hyperthyroidism is and what it meant for my health and probable course of treatment, instead of just referring me to an endocrinologist with a one-month wait time for an appointment? Why did you ask me to fill out your HMO review form (you are lucky I didn’t because I would have given you a very …read more

Ever the snarky wit, Wendy Boswell of Gryffindor Gazette sent me these jokes from Brain Candy. Might be fun to forward them to a few doctors. Here are a few of my favorites.
Doctors: What They Say & What They Really Mean
Says: “Let’s see how it develops.”
Means: “Maybe in a few days it will grow into something that can be cured.”
Says: “How are we today?”
Means: “I feel great. You, on the other hand, look like hell.”
Says:: “I’d like to prescribe a new drug.”
Means: “I’m writing a paper and would like to use you for a guinea pig.”
Hope these jokes don’t get …read more

Today’s Dear Doctor letter comes from Kelly Saunders of Thrifty Mommy who works with doctors every day in the catheterization lab.
Dear Doctor,
Growing up, my family always put doctors on a pedestal. You know, the whole hero syndrome. Whatever the doctor says, goes. I believed that for years. You go to school for years to become experts on our bodies so why shouldn’t we treat you differently? We would never dream of questioning anything you say and always do what you tell us. After all, if someone else makes $1million+/yr, we usually treat them slightly different as they hold some sort …read more