The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-06-10
May Be Permanent

One sensible paragraph begins:
Patients with apprehension often
keep going from doctor to doctor
asking for some treatment that
will knock the pressure down, but
it is doubtful If they ever get much
benefit from the drugs that are
taken, because even when the pres
sure is lowered for a while, it
usually soon goes back up to where
IT was before. The point to be re-
membered is that If one has high
blood pressure of the essentialtype
one is likely to have it for all ones
days"
In reviewing the subject Of high
blood pressure recently | found
that surprisingly enough nobody
knew the incidence Of high blood
pressure. By this | mean nobody
has ever recorded how many peo-
pie at the age Of so, for instance,
have blood pressure of over $50.
There was plenty of work to show
what the average blood pressure Of
a group Of people at the age Of 80
was, but not the incidence of
apprehension.
The only information we have
is the report of the insurance COM
panies which did not represent q
cross section Of the entire popula-
ton BECAUSE insurance applicants
obviously are people who think
themselves in good health. In
order to supplement this, with the
help Of some Of my doctor friends
/ gathered together about 1000
records of people at all ages, most
of whom were sick enough TO con-
suit a doctor.
We took the figure Of 150-sys-
tolic blood pressure-as being the
upper limit of normal. We found
that over 40 per cent Of people
aged from so to 81 had a blood
pressure Of $50 or over. This would
indicate that high blood pressure
is a physiologic rather than a
diseased condition-simply a part
of the aging process.
This would also indicate that
drastic measures to reduce blood
pressure are not likely to have
much success. The treatment re-
commended in this little book con-
sists Of general measures for re-
ducing the pressure Of life, par
ticularly getting plenty of rest
and plenty Of sleep. The diet re-
commended is liberal, including
everything from meat to starches.
Drugs are not advised except in
special cases.
Future Prospects
The last paragraph is called as
There Any Hope on the Horizon
for Persons with Hypertension?"
The belief is expressed that from
the amount Of research'work which
is now being done, in the near fu-
ture some method will be found ef-
fective in lowering pressure and
preventing the high blood pres
sure Of middle age. Sufferers with
apprehension must not, then, get
too discouraged, but must cling TO
hope"
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
P. r. c.: A 17-year-old girl
wants to have her nose remodeled.
Is such an operation dangerous!
Are pills or tablets given TO one
who lacks thyroxin? was under
the impression that the hormone
taken orally would be destroyed by
the digestive juices before the drug
entered the blood stream.
Answer; There is no reason why
a remodeling operation on the nose
should cause any permanent trou-
bic. The proportion Of success in
such operations is very high among
skillful operators. Thyroxin is one
Of the few hormones that can be
taken by mouth and is not de-
stroyed by the digestive juices.
The prohibitionists, OF course,
believe II will be grand-and for
the home folk also worried as to