Bonus Episode: Treating High Blood Pressure at the UltraWellness Center

Mark Hyman

Jul 11, 2025

Episode description

This special bonus episode features Dr. Cindy Geyer from the UltraWellness Center, diving into how functional medicine approaches high blood pressure — and why treating the root cause means looking far beyond salt and stress.

In this conversation, Dr. Geyer walks through the case of a woman with longstanding “white coat” hypertension, family history of cognitive decline, and no clear answers from conventional care. By investigating deeper factors like sleep quality, metabolic health, stress hormones, genetics, and gut function, Dr. Geyer shows how a systems-based approach can improve blood pressure, energy, and long-term brain health — often without medication.

You’ll learn:

• Why blood pressure medications don’t address the real problem

• How stress, sleep apnea, and insulin resistance all contribute to hypertension

• Why women are often misdiagnosed or overlooked when it comes to vascular risk

• How gut health and food sensitivities can directly affect blood pressure

• What functional medicine labs reveal that standard workups miss

This is part of a limited bonus series spotlighting the work of the UltraWellness Center team, with new episodes dropping monthly on select Fridays.

To learn more about the UltraWellness Center or inquire about becoming a patient, visit: https://ultrawellnesscenter.com

Episode description

You’ll learn:

• Why blood pressure medications don’t address the real problem

• How stress, sleep apnea, and insulin resistance all contribute to hypertension

• Why women are often misdiagnosed or overlooked when it comes to vascular risk

• How gut health and food sensitivities can directly affect blood pressure

• What functional medicine labs reveal that standard workups miss

This is part of a limited bonus series spotlighting the work of the UltraWellness Center team, with new episodes dropping monthly on select Fridays.

To learn more about the UltraWellness Center or inquire about becoming a patient, visit: https://ultrawellnesscenter.com

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Monitor menopause symptoms to assess heart risk

Women who experience more vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes during menopause may have higher vascular reactivity and increased cardiovascular disease risk.

#heart

#menopause

Address food sensitivities to manage blood pressure

Food sensitivities, such as to dairy, can contribute to high blood pressure, likely mediated through inflammatory changes in the gut microbiome.

#blood-pressure

#microbiome

Monitor lead release from bones to manage blood pressure in post-menopausal women

Post-menopausal women can release lead stored in their bones from past environmental exposures, which can raise blood lead levels and contribute to high blood pressure.

#blood-pressure

#bones

Support nitric oxide production with magnesium and polyphenols

A genetic predisposition to have difficulty making nitric oxide can be supported by eating magnesium-rich and polyphenolic-rich foods like dark leafy greens and berries.

#genetics

#nitric-oxide

Incorporate foam rolling to enhance vascular health

There is an emerging connection between the health of your fascia and artery stiffness, suggesting that practices like foam rolling may benefit vascular health.

#foam-rolling

#vascular

Recognize skinny fat as a metabolic health risk

Two-thirds of people with a so-called normal weight are not metabolically healthy and are at risk for conditions like prediabetes.

#diabetes

#metabolism

Manage stress proactively to control blood pressure with COMT variant

A gene variant called COMT can make you a slow metabolizer of stress hormones, requiring more proactive stress management to control blood pressure.

#blood-pressure

#genetics

Recognize upper airway resistance syndrome to address high blood pressure

Upper airway resistance syndrome, a condition more common in women where the airway is restricted but breathing doesn't stop, is associated with high blood pressure and is often overlooked.