High Blood Pressure May Be Caused By Common Virus

[tcmgpt13]

I am fairly sure that most diseases which are thought to be genetic in origin or else caused by poor lifestyle choices will be discovered to have a disease organism as a start, an infection which the body cannot fend off at the time. There's already such connections being discovered in other diseases (such as juvenile diabetes which is linked to viral infections or the newly discovered virus connected to leishmaniasis which enables that parasite to thrive in the body). The virus being connected to essential hypertension, the most common type of HBP, is the cytomegalavirus. Viruses have the potential to turn on human genes:

HarvardScience > Health & Medicine > Common virus could cause high blood pressure Cytomegalovirus affects upwards of 99 percent of adults worldwide

By Bonnie Prescott

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Thursday, May 14, 2009 crumpackerMD

Photograph by Bruce Wahl/BIDMC Media Services

Researcher Clyde Crumpacker in his laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common viral infection affecting between 60 percent and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.

The study, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and published in the May 15 issue of PLoS Pathogens, further demonstrates that when coupled with other risk factors for heart disease, the virus can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

CMV infects humans all over the world, explains co-senior author Clyde Crumpacker, an investigator in the Division of Infectious Diseases at BIDMC and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. This new discovery may eventually provide doctors with a whole new approach to treating hypertension, with antiviral therapies or vaccines becoming part of the prescription. A member of the herpes-virus family, CMV affects all age groups and is the source of congenital infection, mononucleosis, and severe infection in transplant patients. By the age of 40, most adults will have contracted the virus, though many will never exhibit symptoms. Once it has entered the body, CMV is usually there to stay, remaining latent until the immune system is compromised, when it then re-emerges. Previous epidemiological studies had determined that the CMV virus was linked to restenosis in cardiac transplant patients, a situation in which the heart’s arteries reblock. The virus had also been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, the hardening of the heart’s arteries. But, in both cases, the mechanism behind these developments remained a mystery. This new study brought together a team of researchers from a variety of disciplines — infectious diseases, cardiology, allergy, and pathology — to look more closely at the issue. By combining the insights of investigators from different medical disciplines, we were able to measure effects of a viral infection that may have been previously overlooked, explains Crumpacker.

In the first portion of the study, the scientists examined four groups of laboratory mice. Two groups of animals were fed a standard diet and two groups were fed a high-cholesterol diet. After a period of four weeks, one standard-diet mouse group and one high-cholesterol-diet mouse group were infected with the CMV virus.

Six weeks later, the animals’ blood pressures were measured by the cardiology team using a small catheter inserted in the mouse carotid artery. Among the mice fed a standard diet, the CMV-infected mice had increased blood pressure compared with the uninfected group. But even more dramatically, 30 percent of the CMV-infected mice that were fed a high-cholesterol diet not only exhibited increased blood pressure, but also showed signs of having developed atherosclerosis.

This strongly suggests that the CMV infection and the high-cholesterol diet might be working together to cause atherosclerosis, says Crumpacker. In order to find out how and why this was occurring, the investigators went on to conduct a series of cell culture experiments.

Their first analysis demonstrated that CMV stimulated production of three different inflammatory cytokines — IL6, TNF, and MCP1 — in the infected mice, an indication that the virus was causing inflammation to vascular cells and other tissues.

A second analysis found that infection of a mouse kidney cell line with murine CMV led to an increase in expression of the renin enzyme, which has been known to activate the renin-angiotensin system and lead to high blood pressure. Clinical isolates of human CMV in cultured blood vessel cells also produced increased renin expression.

Viruses have the ability to turn on human genes, and in this case, the CMV virus is enhancing expression of renin, an enzyme directly involved in causing high blood pressure, says Crumpacker. When the scientists inactivated the virus through the use of ultraviolet light, renin expression did not increase, suggesting that the actively replicating virus was causing the increase in renin.

In their final experiments, the researchers demonstrated that the protein angiotensin 11 was also increased in response to infection with CMV. Increased expression of both renin and angiotensin 11 are important factors in hypertension in humans, says Crumpacker. “What our study seems to indicate is that a persistent viral infection in the vessels’ endothelial cells is leading to increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, rennin, and angiotensin 11, which are leading to increased blood pressure.”

According to recent figures from the American Heart Association, one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, and because there are no known symptoms, nearly one-third of these individuals are unaware of their condition. Often dubbed “the silent killer,” uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure, notes Crumpacker.

We found that CMV infection alone led to an increase in high blood pressure, and when combined with a high-cholesterol diet, the infection actually induced atherosclerosis in a mouse aorta, says Crumpacker. This suggests that further research needs to be directed at viral causes of vascular injury. Some cases of hypertension might be treated or prevented by antiviral therapy or a vaccine against CMV.

This study was funded by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Study co-authors include Jielin Zhang of BIDMC’s Division of Infectious Diseases (co-senior author); Jilin Cheng, formerly of BIDMC’s Division of Infectious Diseases and now at Fudan University, Shanghai, (first author); Qingen Ke of BIDMC’s Division of Cardiology; Zhuang Jin and Haibin Wang of BIDMC’s Division of Allergy; Olivier Kocher of BIDMC’s Division of Pathology; and James Morgan of Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston.

Entire article may be read here:

plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000427

[Baraka Obam]

I had a sneaky suspission that my high blood pressure was from infection and not my habbits.

You do find some very interesting information.

Now all they have to do is find a way to get rid of this virus.

The prostate problems are also supposed to be linked to infection that later will turn to cancer. This told to me by a Sweedish fellow, that said they are trying now to find a way to be able to eradicate this infection, I forget if it was virus or bacteria, virus is kinda impossible to get rid of isn't it?.

[tcmgpt13]

Here's another article which will answer many questions about cytomeglovirus (HHV-5) and its treatment options. The anti-viral drugs do not cure herpes viruses but they do suppress replication and therefore in a sense control its further spread within the body. Also sometimes antibiotics are employed to control accompanying infections and this lessens the infection indirectly by allowing the immune system to recover sufficiently to keep the cytomeglovirus infection in check.

Interestingly this virus often settles in the salivary glands, something which is associated with Morgellons symptoms as well. As with many drugs though sometimes the control drugs are worse than the disease itself, so doubtless these drugs are reserved for the more serious cases. So many illnesses prove to have viral connections and sometimes even bring in their own as yet unknown virus into the infection process as has the leishmania parasite (I recently posted an article about this discovery as well). This is why I hope those who have Morgellons and who do see doctors are checked for some of the more common herpes family viruses. These infections, if active, are treatable. Some Morgellons symptoms may improve if there is a viral component and it is treated long term (not just for a few short weeks the way some doctors do).

I am not saying herpes viral infections are what is involved with everyone who has Morgellons symptoms, but IMO these infections should be ruled in or out. Hopefully someday there are better and less toxic drugs to control viral infections. Herpes viruses are connected to more than one type of cancer infection, so treating them effectively will save many lives and many people a lot of pain.

Here's the article which discusses the currently known treatments for this particular herpes family virus:

Drugs used in Cytomegalovirus infections

Ganciclovir Valganciclovir

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a genus of viruses of the Herpesvirus. In the case of human viruses, it is commonly used the name of HCMV, or human herpesvirus 5 (HHV-5).

The virus has an affinity to the tissues of the salivary glands, which often allows to find it and localize it there. This virus, like all herpes viruses, has the ability to reside (persist) in humans after a single infection, but it is not very contagious by itself, because it requires frequent and close contact with the carrier. CMV is also very widely represented in the population, but the antibodies in the human body begin to form on their own. Typically, antibodies are detected in 10-15% of adolescents and 40% of people from 30-35 years old.

Ways of CMV transmission:

droplet spread as well as with saliva when kissing sexually - in contact with the sperm and the endometrium in blood transfusions at birth and during pregnancy through the mother's milk during breastfeeding

Clinical manifestation Period from 20 to 60 days is considered as incubation for CMV, whereas the acute phase of the illness lasts from 2 to 6 weeks. At the same time appear the following symptoms: fever, symptoms of intoxication, weakness, chills, headache, muscle pain, bronchitis. Subsequently, under the action of the virus, the body's immune system is changing as it prepares to repel the attack. However, in the weaken body, the acute phase passes into a more relaxed form, which is often manifested by vascular autonomic dysfunction, as well as lesions of internal organs. In this case, there are three manifestations of the disease:

acute respiratory viral infection: asthenia, malaise, fatigue, light fever, headache, runny nose, inflamed and enlarged salivary glands, whitish coating on the tongue and gums, sometimes inflamed tonsils generalized form: internal organs lesions (inflammation of the liver tissue, adrenal glands, kidneys, spleen, pancreas). This can cause bronchitis and pneumonia, that aggravates the condition of the patient and has worsens the immune system state. lesions of urogenital / urinary system manifested in the form of non-specific and periodic inflammation.

Also, if a pregnant woman get infected, there is a possibility of different pathologies of the fetus like miscarriage. The infection leads to either death of a child in the womb or right after delivery, or to the lesions of the nervous system and brain, which are manifested in various psychological and physical disorders.

CMV treatment

Treatment of the virus should be of a general nature, which requires strengthening the human immune system to counter the development of the disease even in the case of infection. Also, antibiotic treatment of concomitant diseases in combination with antiviral and general tonic therapy allows to transfer the virus in a latent (inactive) form when the activity of the virus is controlled by the human immune system.

Cytomegalovirus infection is incurable. However, there are drugs which control the amount of the virus in the body, suppressing its development. Patients improve their immunity, and are prescribed specific antiviral drugs.

The group of antiviral drugs for CMV treatment includes ganciclovir, valganciclovir, foscarnet and cidofovir.

Ganciclovir by its structure, metabolism and mechanism of action is very similar to acyclovir, but is much more toxic. To induce the effect in CMV retinitis, ganciclovir is used IV, for the maintenance therapy orally. There is also a special formulation of ganciclovir - intraocular implants, which is used for CMV retinitis in patients with AIDS.

Valganciclovir is a prodrug for oral administration, which transforms into ganciclovir in the body. Unlike the latter, it has a significantly higher bioavailability (60%).

Foscarnet is an organic analogue of inorganic pyrophosphate. It is usually introduced IV and has high nephrotoxicity. It is active not only against CMV, but also against HSV resistant to acyclovir.

Cidofovir is a derivative of cytosine, inhibits viral DNA polymerase. It is introduced IV and has high nephrotoxicity. Used for CMV retinitis in patients with AIDS.

Efficacy and safety of recombinant interferon for the treatment of cytomegalovirus infection is not proven, as the use of the so-called immunomodulators (inductors) - cycloferon, Panavir, Imunofan, Amixin (Tilorone), etc.

Article found:

antibioticslist.com/drugs-used-in-cytomegalovirus-infections.html

[Baraka Obam]

I have had an idea for a very long time that Herpies has somthing to do with our lesions at the very least, if you look up herpies systemic you will find alot of horror symptoms.

That one show on TV with the woman coroner in florida, this girl went to a club, she was kissing an unknown man, she says he bit her, I do not think that was the case. no man bites a prospective female partner not in a bar anyway.

This woman soon was covered with lesions and fighting for her life, they found herpies that never goes above the waistline all throughout her body, she died within three days.

I could right at this moment say somthing I know to be true and others have also told me it happened to them, it sounds crazy so I will keep it to myself.

[Gator]

Hi tcm,

Thank you so much for sharing the articles about HBP and viruses. I, too, have long wondered if the Herpes virus was a part of Morgs and cardio vascular symptoms. but I would never have connected it to HBP.

I have had a hard time with HBP especially since the heart and kidney stent. Ranges in the 200s over 100s. Nothing seems to bring it down. I tried the meds but I am so allergic to orange and red dye which is in all the pills that I am then sick from allergic reactions.

I wonder if possibly Silver, Grapefruit seed extract, Garlic, or Blood root tincture(dangerous if not supervised b y kbowledgeable person might help keep this virs down if not kill it.

I found the studies most interesting and will read them again.

Thanks again. You really do share interesting articles.

[Baraka Obam]

I have to wonder if these regular herpies drugs will do the job of afflicting the virus enough to lower blood pressure that is worth a try.

[tcmgpt13]

Using coconut oil to benefit heart disease and HBP:

www morgellons-disease-research.com/Morgellons-Message-Board/morgellons-treatment/5613-new-look-coconut-oil.html#post51322

A discussion about balancing the ratio of l-lysine to l-arginine. Interestingly it is l-arginine metabolism which may allow parasites to proliferate in the body although so far the metabolism itself is not exactly understood by scientists so far. Anyway supplementing with l-lysine may help reduce viral symptoms. Discussed in this post:

www morgellons-disease-research.com/Morgellons-Message-Board/morgellons-treatment/4112-living-morgellons-treatment-suggestions.html#post29210 (permalink 3)

Herpes diet information:

www morgellons-disease-research.com/Morgellons-Message-Board/morgellons-treatment/4112-living-morgellons-treatment-suggestions.html#post29245 (permalink 5)

The case of the woman who died from a massive herpes simplex I infection:

www morgellons-disease-research.com/Morgellons-Message-Board/general-discussion/3907-herpes-simplex-1-dr-g-medical-examiner-discovery-health.html#post26315

There are many older discussion about herpes and its possible connection to some M symptoms, in at least those of us who have tested for reactivated infections. A search will bring up many more references to these discussions. Dr. Harvey found these types of infections in some of his patients.

[Gator]

I think youu are right Barak. Now to convince doc of this. I finally got an appt with heart doc.

I wish I could print this off and take to him.

Thanks again. tcm

[Gator]

Hi tcm,

I have made notes of this information (do not have a printer) and I am taking them with me to the heart doctor today. Hope it is well received because these drugs Plavix, Hydralazine and Pravacol (Pravastatin) are giving me serious problems.

Thanks again for the info.

"To help another, lifts us above ourselves"

[Ghettogirl]

I finally went to the doctors, for my ulcer, they had ran blood and urine tests.
I called to find out my results, I was told I have high blood pressure and if I have had a problem with it. No, I have never had any issues with that.
Interesting.....

GG