Greysteel Podcast #15: Blood Pressure Medications

[Mark Rippetoe]

#15: Hypertension Part 2: Antihypertensive Medications - YouTube

Much important information here.

[Chris Lippke]

Another great video that learns me good.

Probably some loaded questions that aren't even the right questions:

Do these drugs affect blood vessels in the brain differently than blood vessels in the rest of the body? I was told by a nurse (?) that caffeine behaves as a vasoconstrictor in the brain but as a vasodilator everywhere else. Is this accurate? If so, why is there a difference? What gives? Is the mechanism related to the same kind of receptor blocking or activating as these drugs?

Backstory: I get the occasional migraine. I take a triptan when it happens, which, I'm given to understand causes vasoconstriction to offset the vasodilation of the offending arteries. What I'm reading here says that it (triptan) reduces the vascular inflammation, but I confuse myself by picturing vascular inflammation as constriction not dilation (and conversely, I picture that reduction in vascular inflammation would be dilation). Whereas vascular inflammation is really dilation (like inflammation anywhere else) of the wall which leads to constriction of the vessel interior. Is that right? And that's ultimately the stuff that heart attacks are made of, yes?

(For what it's worth, I get a lot less migraines at 33 yrs/230 lb than I did when I was 16 yrs/150 lb. Maybe my hormones have just calmed down or that being fat helps.)

Also, Rip, your next T-shirt?
https://shop.spacex.com/mens/t-shirt...s-t-shirt.html

[Pluripotent]

Inflammation is a totally separate concept from constriction and dilation. Inflammation basically means irritation (more or less). It's usually associated with some swelling (edema) that may cause some vessel narrowing, but not "constriction," which is a muscular contraction of the vessel wall.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Inflammation is a totally separate concept from constriction and dilation. Inflammation basically means irritation (more or less). It's usually associated with some swelling (edema) that may cause some vessel narrowing, but not "constriction," which is a muscular contraction of the vessel wall.

Yep.

[Kiril]

Inflammation is the factor which considered to lead to heart attacks, is it?

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Inflammation is the factor which considered to lead to heart attacks, is it?

Chronic inflammation plays a role in the development of vascular disease, definitely. The relative importance of inflammation and the precise mechanisms are still being worked out. And vascular inflammation can certainly promote vascular constriction--but they are nevertheless, as pluripotent points out, two different things.

[Mark D]

I take both Doxazosin and Amlodipine for high blood pressure, I'm seeing my doctor this Saturday to see how I'm responding (the Doxazosin was added a few months ago). I'll have to discuss with the doc if there's a better method for controlling the HBP given the affects of the drugs on strength training (which I expect would do me long-term good, and perhaps eliminate the need to treat HBP).

Given the current state of medicine WRT barbell training though, I suspect his response will be something like "Start running on the treadmill".

[Chris Lippke]

Thanks, Pluripotent and Sully!

I take both Doxazosin and Amlodipine for high blood pressure, I'm seeing my doctor this Saturday to see how I'm responding (the Doxazosin was added a few months ago). I'll have to discuss with the doc if there's a better method for controlling the HBP given the affects of the drugs on strength training (which I expect would do me long-term good, and perhaps eliminate the need to treat HBP).

Given the current state of medicine WRT barbell training though, I suspect his response will be something like "Start running on the treadmill".

Ask him what the Number Needed to Treat/Harm are for those drugs.

[Cheesepuff]

Another illuminating / horrifying video by Dr Sullivan. What I find of particular interest is the "general lexicon breakdowns", so I need to dive in further, I have both context and the right search terms. Another useful aspect for me, is the tangible credibility this brings to the SS model. (aka less kicking and screaming as I drag people under the bar)