cover image Healing Hypertension: Uncovering the Secret Power of Your Hidden Emotions

Healing Hypertension: Uncovering the Secret Power of Your Hidden Emotions

Samuel J. Mann. John Wiley & Sons, $24.95 (244pp) ISBN 978-0-471-17547-6

More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, making this disease one of the top reasons for physician visits in the U.S. Most studies on hypertension focus on the cause-effect relationship between type-A personalities--those under extreme stress on a regular basis--and their resulting high blood pressure. This book, however, takes a look at the connection between individuals who repress stress and emotions and their unexplained high blood pressure. Mann, a physician at the Hypertension Center at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, argues that these individuals--the ones with ""hidden emotions""--suffer the long-term effects of high blood pressure because the underlying causes of their condition aren't readily identifiable and therefore not addressed. The author offers ways people can find help and lists various medical treatment options. Through statistics and case studies, Mann presents his theory that only by researching a patient's past and finding the unacknowledged source of that patient's stress can the causes of hypertension be addressed and dealt with accurately and effectively. This accessible guide will be especially helpful for people looking to identify the underlying factors that they can control rather than relying on medication. (Jan.)