If you are living with an acute or chronic condition, and I include those women going through the menopause, you need to know your blood pressure numbers. Even more so than those in relatively good health. Though it makes sense to have an at home blood pressure monitor and check your blood pressure at least once a month from the age of 30.

Autoimmune conditions have a range of symptoms, but awareness needs to be focused on how it causes a rise in blood pressure. As stated in this scientific paper. Conditions including Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease to name a few.

Rodriguez-Iturbe B, Pons H, Johnson RJ. Role of the Immune System in Hypertension. Physiol Rev. 2017;97(3):1127-1164. doi:10.1152/physrev.00031.2016

High blood pressure is present in more than one billion adults worldwide and is the most important modifiable risk factor of death resulting from cardiovascular disease.

While many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension, a role of the immune system has been firmly established by a large number of investigations from many laboratories around the world.

Immunosuppressive drugs and inhibition of individual cytokines prevent or ameliorate experimental hypertension, and studies in genetically-modified mouse strains have demonstrated that lymphocytes are necessary participants in the development of hypertension and in hypertensive organ injury.

Furthermore, immune reactivity may be the driving force of hypertension in autoimmune diseases.

Herbal Medicine uses a number of Herbs for Autoimmune conditions and the Leading Herbalist Mathew Wood recommends wild cherry bark for high blood pressure.

You should never attempt to manage your blood pressure without the support of a medical professional and that includes a Medical Herbalist.