You have high blood pressure, or you’re taking medication for it, or maybe you never want to get it, then this article is for you.
Most people focus on their blood pressure numbers once they are told they have high blood pressure. Then, they begin taking blood pressure medication, and see that their numbers are in normal range, so they’re good, right? Not necessarily, because you may want to know what is happening inside your body when you stay on medication for years. You deserve to understand what those drugs are doing, not just to your blood pressure, but to your overall health.
Here’s the truth: for many people, high blood pressure doesn’t start with the heart, it starts with low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance. These silent problems build up over years and slowly harm your blood vessels, kidneys, and even your brain.
Sadly, most doctors never test for inflammation or insulin resistance. They focus on your blood pressure reading, write a prescription, and send you home. Many people put their health completely in their doctor’s hands, and that has become one of the biggest mistakes in modern medicine.
You also don’t want to be the kind of person who only starts learning about blood pressure after your doctor says it’s high. The best time to take action is before it becomes a problem. Prevention is always better than reaction.
How Common Is High Blood Pressure?
Nearly half of all adults in the United States, about 120 million people, have high blood pressure, and only one out of four has it under control (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025). Around the world, more than 10 million people die every year because of it (World Health Organization, 2025).
High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no symptoms. It can damage your arteries, heart, kidneys, and brain for years before you even know it.
The History of Blood Pressure and the Changing Numbers
The first blood pressure test was done in 1733, when a scientist named Stephen Hales measured blood flow in a horse. In the late 1800s, another doctor, Scipione Riva-Rocci, made the first cuff that led to the tool we use today.
For a long time, doctors thought higher blood pressure was just a normal part of getting older. But over time, studies proved that high blood pressure causes serious health problems.=
How “Normal” Changed Over Time
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- Before 1970s: High blood pressure was only diagnosed when the bottom number (diastolic) was above 100.
- 1977: It was set at 160/95 mmHg.
- 1993: Lowered to 140/90 mmHg.
- 2017: Lowered again to 130/80 mmHg.
For many years, an old-school rule of thumb used by doctors was that your systolic pressure (the top number) should be about your age plus 100, and as long as the diastolic (the bottom number) was under 100, you were considered fine. So, a 60-year-old with a blood pressure of 160/90 would have been viewed as “normal” under that guideline.
But over the years, new committees and organizations have continued lowering what’s considered “normal.” With every adjustment, more people qualify as “hypertensive,” which means more people are prescribed medication. And let’s be honest, when this happens, the healthcare system and pharmaceutical industry make more money.
It’s not that lower blood pressure isn’t healthier, but the system is not designed to teach people how to lower it naturally. It’s designed to keep people dependent on medication for life.
The New Guidelines and What They Really Mean
According to the most recent U.S. guidelines published by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), blood pressure is now classified as follows (Whelton et al., 2018; American Heart Association, 2025):
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- Normal: Less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic
- Elevated: 120 to 129 systolic and less than 80 diastolic
- Stage 1 Hypertension: 130 to 139 systolic or 80 to 89 diastolic
- Stage 2 Hypertension: 140 or higher systolic or 90 or higher diastolic
This may look like a small change, but it has a huge impact. Under these new numbers, millions of people who used to be considered “normal” are now labeled as having Stage 1 hypertension. That means more people are told they need medication, which means more prescriptions, and more profit for the pharmaceutical industry.
Lowering the thresholds doesn’t always mean better health. It often means more dependency on drugs instead of focusing on what really matters: reducing inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, and restoring balance to the body.
It’s also important to understand why these numbers changed. Each time blood pressure guidelines are revised, the committees behind them include medical experts, many of whom have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that make blood pressure drugs. While not every expert has a conflict of interest, the system itself is influenced by industry. When “normal” becomes “too high” overnight, more people qualify for medication, and that can mean billions of dollars in new prescriptions.
This doesn’t mean medication is never necessary, it can save lives in certain situations. But for many people, improving nutrition, balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fats, reducing stress, and increasing movement can lower blood pressure naturally. Before accepting medication as a lifelong solution, it’s worth asking whether your body is truly sick, or simply out of balance.
How Blood Pressure Medications Work
Blood pressure medicines, called antihypertensives, help lower your numbers and can save lives. But many people don’t know how they work, or that they can cause problems if used for many years.
Here are the main types:
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- Diuretics: Help your body get rid of extra salt and water through your kidneys.
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors: Relax blood vessels by stopping a hormone called angiotensin II.
- Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs): Work like ACE inhibitors but block angiotensin from attaching to cells.
- Calcium Channel Blockers: Relax and widen blood vessels by blocking calcium.
- Beta Blockers: Slow your heart rate so it doesn’t pump as hard.
Doctors sometimes use more than one type together to keep blood pressure under control.
Understanding the “White Coat” Phenomenon
Have you ever noticed your blood pressure seems higher at the doctor’s office than it does at home? That’s called the “white coat syndrome.” It happens when a person’s blood pressure rises because they feel nervous around medical staff or in a clinical setting.
This temporary rise can lead to false readings and unnecessary prescriptions. That’s why it’s smart to take your own blood pressure cuff to your doctor’s office. When you’re there, ask to test your blood pressure using your device right after the nurse or doctor tests you with theirs. If your readings are close, great. If not, your home cuff might need to be adjusted or replaced.
To get the most accurate picture of your blood pressure, it’s best to measure it at different times during the day, not just once. Case in point:
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- Measure first thing in the morning before eating or caffeine.
- Again, mid-morning.
- Once in the mid-afternoon.
- And 1–3 hours before going to bed.
Track these readings for a few days and bring that data to your doctor. This gives a clearer view of your true blood pressure patterns and helps you and your doctor decide if medication is really needed, or if you’re ready to start coming off it.
Health Tip: Get the Real Picture of Your Blood Pressure
Don’t rely on one reading at the doctor’s office!
Take your own cuff to your next visit and compare your numbers with the clinic’s machine.
Then, at home, check your blood pressure throughout the day:
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- Morning – before eating or coffee
- Mid-morning – once you’ve started your day
- Mid-afternoon – when relaxed and calm
- 1–3 hours before bed – after winding down
Write down your readings for a few days and share them with your doctor.
This gives a true view of your blood pressure, not just a “white coat” reading, and helps you and your doctor decide if medication is really needed or if you’re ready to start coming off it.
“Test-based knowledge is power. The more you track, the more you can transform.”
The Silent Harm: How Some Medications Affect the Kidneys
Blood pressure medicines are meant to protect your organs, but some may quietly harm the kidneys over time.
A study from the University of Virginia found that drugs like ACE inhibitors and ARBs, which are used by millions of people, might change how the kidneys work. Instead of filtering blood, the kidneys may start making more renin, which can lead to kidney damage over time.
This doesn’t mean these medications are bad or unsafe, but it shows why you must check kidney function regularly. Too many people end up with chronic kidney disease or even dialysis after years of treatment, without realizing what’s happening.
A Story That Hit Home
I’ll never forget a conversation I had with my friend Dr. Richard Jr., who is a medical doctor. One day, I went with him to pick up his father, who is also a doctor, from dialysis.
As his father, 83 years old, got into the car, he looked at me and said, “When I was 45 years old, I noticed my blood pressure was high, so I put myself on medication.”
Then he paused, looked right at me, and said, “Do you know why I’m on dialysis?”
I said, “No.”
He replied, “Years of taking blood pressure medicine may have kept my numbers normal, but the medicine taxed my kidneys. The last ten years of my life have been horrible because of dialysis.”
That moment stayed with me. Here was a medical doctor who helped others his entire life, yet even he didn’t realize what years of medication could do to his kidneys.
The Connection Between High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, and Dementia
High blood pressure rarely happens alone. It’s often linked with type 2 diabetes and dementia.
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- Diabetes: High insulin and blood sugar make your blood vessels stiff. That raises blood pressure. In return, high blood pressure damages the kidneys, creating a dangerous cycle.
- Dementia: When blood pressure is too high, small blood vessels in the brain get damaged. This can lead to memory loss, confusion, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
The same silent inflammation that raises blood pressure can also hurt your brain and metabolism.
The Missing Link: Your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio
One of the most overlooked causes of high blood pressure is an imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Both are essential fats, but they must exist in the right ratio for your cells to function properly.
Historically, humans had a balance close to 1 to 1, meaning equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3. Today, most people in the U.S. and Canada have a ratio of 20 to 1 or higher, which drives inflammation throughout the body (Simopoulos, 2010). This imbalance is fueled by seed oils like soybean, corn, and safflower oil found in processed foods, and by a lack of omega-3s from fish and plant sources.
When the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is out of balance, it makes the cell membrane rigid, reducing nutrient flow, oxygen exchange, and waste removal. This lack of cell membrane fluidity contributes to inflammation, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure (Zhang et al., 2022; Bishehkolaei, 2024).
By restoring balance, the body begins to repair itself. Blood vessels relax, insulin becomes more effective, and inflammation levels drop. Testing your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio provides valuable insight into your true metabolic health and is often the first step I take when helping someone address high blood pressure naturally.
Lifestyle Still Matters Most
Medicine can help, but lifestyle is the most powerful way to prevent and reverse high blood pressure.
✅ Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods
✅ Cut back on salt and sugar
✅ Eat more fruits and vegetables for potassium
✅ Stay active and exercise regularly
✅ Manage stress and get enough sleep
✅ Test your fasting insulin and your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio to uncover inflammation
How I Help My Clients Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
As a clinical nutritionist and certified Omega Balancing Coach, one of the first things I do with my clients is test their omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. This gives us a clear picture of how much inflammation is present and how their cells are functioning. From there, we focus on getting their ratio into balance, because when your cells are balanced, your body works better in every way.
This approach is a key part of how I help people reduce insulin resistance and reverse low-grade chronic inflammation, both of which are silent drivers of high blood pressure.
Case in point: my client Shirley S. had blood pressure that spiked to 226 over 110. When she called me, I immediately encouraged her to have her husband take her to the emergency room. Her response was, “We are already on our way.”
After that scare, Shirley and five of her siblings, who all struggled with blood pressure, decided to work with me. By focusing on bringing their omega-6 to omega-3 ratios into balance, every one of them has made major progress. Today, Shirley is off all blood pressure medications and consistently averages 120 over 80.
When your body’s inflammation is under control and your cell membranes are healthy and fluid, your blood vessels relax, your insulin sensitivity improves, and your blood pressure begins to normalize naturally.
Final Thoughts
Blood pressure may look simple, two numbers on a machine, but the story behind those numbers tells a lot about your health. Over time, the definition of “normal” has changed, but the number of people with high blood pressure keeps growing.
Medication can help, but it doesn’t fix the root cause. For many people, years of inflammation and insulin resistance are what lead to high blood pressure, kidney problems, and even dementia.
The best thing you can do is take control before the damage starts. Get tested, make changes, and protect your body from the inside out.
If this message helped you, reach out today. You can contact the person who shared this article, email me at robert@dietfreelife.com, or schedule a free consultation. I’ll share more about the program options I offer and how we can personalize a plan that helps you lower blood pressure by reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity.
Lastly, to help you bring your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio into balance, consider working with a Certified Omega Balancing Coach™. When you contact me, I can connect you with one who can guide you through the process and help you take the right steps toward better health.
References
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- American Heart Association. (2017). Hypertension guideline highlights. Dallas, TX: Author.
- American Heart Association. (2025). Understanding blood pressure readings. Dallas, TX: Author.
- Bishehkolaei, M. (2024). Influence of omega-6/omega-3 ratio on cardiovascular disease and blood pressure. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11(3), 1–10.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). High blood pressure facts and statistics. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Freis, E. D. (1974). Hypertension: The role of diuretics in therapy. New England Journal of Medicine, 291(1), 1–6.
- Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 1–8 Reports). (1977–2014). Guidelines for hypertension management. Bethesda, MD: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
- Simopoulos, A. P. (2010). The omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio: health implications. OCL – Oilseeds and Fats, Crops and Lipids, 17(5), 267–275.
- University of Virginia Health. (2024, November 18). Blood pressure drugs may damage the kidneys, new study finds. Charlottesville, VA: UVA Health Newsroom.
- University of Virginia School of Medicine. (2024). Kidney damage caused by blood pressure drugs explained. Charlottesville, VA: UVA Medical Research Division.
- Whelton, P. K., Carey, R. M., Aronow, W. S., et al. (2018). 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults. Circulation, 138(17), e484–e594.
- World Health Organization. (2025). Hypertension: Fact sheet. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
- Zhang, X., et al. (2022). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and blood pressure: A dose–response meta-analysis. Journal of the American Heart Association, 11(13), e025071.
- Zhang, Y., et al. (2022). Association between hypertension and dementia: A meta-analysis. Cardiovascular Research, 120(18), 2360–2372.
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Robert Ferguson is a California- and Florida-based single father of two daughters, clinical nutritionist, Omega Balancing Coach™, researcher, best-selling author, speaker, podcast and television host, health advisor, NAACP Image Award Nominee, creator of the Diet Free Life methodology, and Chief Nutrition Officer for iCoura Health. He also serves on the Presidential Task Force on Obesity for the National Medical Association and the Health and Product Advisory Board for Zinzino, Inc.
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