My Hypertension and Prediabetes
Written on May 5, 2026
I visited the Veterans Affairs clinic in Glen Burnie, Virginia in October 2021 to have my lower left leg examined for swelling. Before the doctor sent me to the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Baltimore, he diagnosed me with hypertension.
He prescribed Losartan, starting at 50 milligrams a day. I eventually ended up with 100 milligrams a day, and that's what I've been taking ever since then.
The hospital performed a vascular scan and my circuloratory system was fine. The swelling involved the lymphatic system in my leg and I was diagnosed with lymphedema.
Hypertension Causes
There are many causes of hypertension (high blood pressure), and doctors don't even understand them all. I'm 65 years old, and I'm not as energetic as I used to be. I'm sure being overweight has a lot to do with it.
High levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides contribute to hypertension. Dietary changes can bring down the bad cholesterol and triglycerides, which in turn can help to reduce blood pressure.
Dietary Changes
At the insistence of my wife, Josie, I took another blood test last week, the second within a six-month period. As I expected, it showed that I was prediabetic. If I'd taken it in the Philippines before I left, it wouldn't show that.
As I mentioned when I wrote about controlling my glucose, Josie and I were only eating small amounts of rice per day after we left the United States. Living with other people's diets doesn't help us in any way.
My older son and his family eat much of the food we were avoiding for around five months. Since we're staying with them until we leave this month or the next, we eat mostly what they eat because we can't afford to eat separately.
I have a different doctor than last time, and he's not a Veterans Affairs doctor. He saw my cholesterol and prescribed Rosuvastatin, so I'm now taking that as well. I'll continue to take both that and the Losartan until a doctor tells me not to.
My Future Health
When I return to my home in the Philippines, I want to slowly get rid of as much fat off of my body as possible. I only weigh five pounds more than I did 20 years ago, but I was overweight back then as well. My goal is an eventual weight loss of 35 pounds.
I learned about Soleus Push-Ups. It's an exercise routine that can help me manage my blood glucose level. It may even help with the lymphedema in my lower left leg. I want to do this exercise every day from now on.
I wear a compression stocking daily on my left leg. While it may only be a dream, I look forward to not having to wear it anymore.
Image by tomwieden from Pixabay