ACE Inhibitors LINKED to Deadly Condition (Shocking)

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

If you take an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) for high blood pressure, chances are you’ve run into a few side effects.

First, there’s the dry cough, then the headaches and loss of taste. Then comes the fatigue and dizziness.

It’s no picnic!

But there’s something else that comes with taking ACE inhibitors…

Researchers have now linked ACE inhibitors to this deadly condition.

*****

If there’s anything you DON’T want in our modern world, it’s to raise your risk of infection.

However, a new study published in Science Translational Medicine found that ACE inhibitors may impair your immune system’s ability to battle dangerous bacteria.

You see, ACE inhibitors work by converting a hormone called angiotensin I into angiotensin II. Angiotensin II has a single job in your body: it constricts blood vessels.

So when ACE inhibitors block the production of angiotensin I, they’re lowering your blood pressure by allowing your veins and arteries to relax.

But now, it could also unleash something unexpected.

For the study, researchers divided a group of mice into two smaller groups: one received ACE inhibitors and the other received no treatment. Then, they exposed both groups of mice to Staphylococcus aureus (the bacteria that cause staph infections)… and found something incredibly disturbing.

The mice taking ACE inhibitors had significantly higher incidence of bacterial heart tissue infection than the mice not taking blood pressure medications.

Next, the researchers took blood samples from seven human volunteers on ACE inhibitors and found that all of them ALSO had a lowered immune response to Staphyloccocus aureus, as well as Klebsiella pneumoniaeandPseudomonas aeruginosa.

The reason is, ACE inhibitors may work on more than just blood pressure… it could block neutrophils as well. In the study, the researchers saw that ACE inhibitors essentially hamstrung neutrophils, keeping them from doing their job fighting bacteria.

So, what should you do?

First, you should NEVER stop taking ACE inhibitors without working directly with your doctor. There are serious health consequences to suddenly stopping any blood pressure medication.

Under your doctor’s guidance, slowly taper off of ACE inhibitors. Then, lower your blood pressure naturally if possible, by adding in exercise and taking essential omega-3 fatty acids and CoQ10 supplements.

And to bolster your immune system, consider taking 500 to 1000mg of vitamin C daily.

Dr. Scott Olson, ND

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how to lower your blood pressure, check out my mailbag letter on the topic right here. And if you’d like to submit a health question to the mailbag yourself, click here.

Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

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