Diseases and ConditionsBlood Pressure › How to Prevent High Blood Pressure?

Everyone regardless of race, age, sex, or heredity -- can help lower their chances of developing high blood pressure. Here's how:

 

1) Maintain a healthy weight, and lose weight if you are overweight.

2) Be more physically active.

3) Choose foods lower in salt and sodium.

4) If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

These rules are also recommended for treating high blood pressure, although medicine is often added as part of the treatment. It is far better to keep your blood pressure from getting high in the first place.

Another important measure for your health is to not smoke. While cigarette smoking is not directly related to high blood pressure, it increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

1) Maintain a Healthy Weight, and Lose Weight If You Are Overweight.
As your body weight increases, your blood pressure rises. In fact, being overweight can make you two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure than if you are at your desirable weight. Keeping your weight in the desirable range is not only important to prevent high blood pressure but also for your overall health and well-being.

It's not just how much you weigh that's important: It also matters where your body stores extra fat. Your shape is inherited from your parents just like the color of your eyes or hair. Some people tend to gain weight around their belly; others, around the hips and thighs.

"Apple-shaped" people who have extra fat at the waist appear to have higher health risks than "pear-shaped" people with heavy hips and thighs.

No matter where the extra weight is, you can reduce your risk of high blood pressure by losing weight. Even small amounts of weight loss can make a big difference in helping to prevent high blood pressure. Losing weight, if you are overweight and already have high blood pressure, can also help lower your pressure.

To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. But don't go on a crash diet to see how quickly you can lose those pounds. The healthiest and longest-lasting weight loss happens when you do it slowly, losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week. By cutting back by 500 calories a day by eating less and being more physically active, you can lose about 1 pound (which equals 3,500 calories) in a week.


2) Be More Physically Active.
There's more to weight loss than just eating less. Another important ingredient is increasing physical activity, which burns calories. Cutting down on fat and calories combined with regular physical activity can help you lose more weight and keep it off longer than either way by itself.

Besides losing weight, there are other reasons to be more active: Being physically active can reduce your risk for heart disease, help lower your total cholesterol level and raise HDL-cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol that does not build up in the arteries), and help lower high blood pressure. And people who are physically active have a lower risk of getting high blood pressure -- 20% to 50% lower -- than people who are not active.

You don't have to be a marathon runner to benefit from physical activity. Even light activities, if done daily, can help lower your risk of heart disease. So you can fit physical activity into your daily routine in small but important ways.

More vigorous exercise has added benefits. It helps improve the fitness of the heart and lungs. And that in turn protects you more against heart disease. Activities like swimming, brisk walking, running, and jumping rope are called "aerobic." This means that the body uses oxygen to make the energy it needs for the activity. Aerobic activities can condition your heart and lungs if done at the right intensity for at least 30 minutes, three to four times a week. But if you don't have 30 minutes for a break, try to find two 15-minute periods or even three 10-minute periods. Try to do some type of aerobic activity in the course of a week.

Most people don't need to see a doctor before they start exercising, since a gradual, sensible exercise program has few health risks. But if you have a health problem like high blood pressure; if you have pains or pressure in the chest or shoulder area; if you tend to feel dizzy or faint; if you get very breathless after a mild workout; or are middle-age or older and have not been active, and you are planning a vigorous exercise program, you should check with your doctor first. Otherwise, get out, get active, and get fit -- and help prevent high blood pressure.

3) hoose Foods Lower In Salt and Sodium.
Americans eat more salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium than they need. They also have higher rates of high blood pressure than people in other countries who eat less salt.

Often, if people with high blood pressure cut back on salt and sodium, their blood pressure falls. Cutting back on salt and sodium also prevents blood pressure from rising. Some people, like many African Americans and the elderly, are more affected by sodium than others. Since there's really no practical way to predict exactly who will be affected by sodium, it makes sense to limit intake of salt and sodium to help prevent high blood pressure.

All Americans, especially people with high blood pressure, should eat no more than about 2,400 milligrams of sodium - the amount contained in about 6 grams of salt. But remember to keep track of ALL sodium eaten -- including that in processed foods and added during cooking or at the table. Most Americans eat 4,000 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium a day, so most people need to cut back on salt and sodium.

You can teach your taste buds to enjoy less salty foods. Here are a few tips:

Everyone regardless of race, age, sex, or heredity -- can help lower their chances of developing high blood pressure. Here's how:

 

1) Maintain a healthy weight, and lose weight if you are overweight.

2) Be more physically active.

3) Choose foods lower in salt and sodium.

4) If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

These rules are also recommended for treating high blood pressure, although medicine is often added as part of the treatment. It is far better to keep your blood pressure from getting high in the first place.

Another important measure for your health is to not smoke. While cigarette smoking is not directly related to high blood pressure, it increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

1) Maintain a Healthy Weight, and Lose Weight If You Are Overweight.
As your body weight increases, your blood pressure rises. In fact, being overweight can make you two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure than if you are at your desirable weight. Keeping your weight in the desirable range is not only important to prevent high blood pressure but also for your overall health and well-being.

It's not just how much you weigh that's important: It also matters where your body stores extra fat. Your shape is inherited from your parents just like the color of your eyes or hair. Some people tend to gain weight around their belly; others, around the hips and thighs.

"Apple-shaped" people who have extra fat at the waist appear to have higher health risks than "pear-shaped" people with heavy hips and thighs.

No matter where the extra weight is, you can reduce your risk of high blood pressure by losing weight. Even small amounts of weight loss can make a big difference in helping to prevent high blood pressure. Losing weight, if you are overweight and already have high blood pressure, can also help lower your pressure.

To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. But don't go on a crash diet to see how quickly you can lose those pounds. The healthiest and longest-lasting weight loss happens when you do it slowly, losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week. By cutting back by 500 calories a day by eating less and being more physically active, you can lose about 1 pound (which equals 3,500 calories) in a week.


2) Be More Physically Active.
There's more to weight loss than just eating less. Another important ingredient is increasing physical activity, which burns calories. Cutting down on fat and calories combined with regular physical activity can help you lose more weight and keep it off longer than either way by itself.

Besides losing weight, there are other reasons to be more active: Being physically active can reduce your risk for heart disease, help lower your total cholesterol level and raise HDL-cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol that does not build up in the arteries), and help lower high blood pressure. And people who are physically active have a lower risk of getting high blood pressure -- 20% to 50% lower -- than people who are not active.

You don't have to be a marathon runner to benefit from physical activity. Even light activities, if done daily, can help lower your risk of heart disease. So you can fit physical activity into your daily routine in small but important ways.

More vigorous exercise has added benefits. It helps improve the fitness of the heart and lungs. And that in turn protects you more against heart disease. Activities like swimming, brisk walking, running, and jumping rope are called "aerobic." This means that the body uses oxygen to make the energy it needs for the activity. Aerobic activities can condition your heart and lungs if done at the right intensity for at least 30 minutes, three to four times a week. But if you don't have 30 minutes for a break, try to find two 15-minute periods or even three 10-minute periods. Try to do some type of aerobic activity in the course of a week.

Most people don't need to see a doctor before they start exercising, since a gradual, sensible exercise program has few health risks. But if you have a health problem like high blood pressure; if you have pains or pressure in the chest or shoulder area; if you tend to feel dizzy or faint; if you get very breathless after a mild workout; or are middle-age or older and have not been active, and you are planning a vigorous exercise program, you should check with your doctor first. Otherwise, get out, get active, and get fit -- and help prevent high blood pressure.

3) hoose Foods Lower In Salt and Sodium.
Americans eat more salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium than they need. They also have higher rates of high blood pressure than people in other countries who eat less salt.

Often, if people with high blood pressure cut back on salt and sodium, their blood pressure falls. Cutting back on salt and sodium also prevents blood pressure from rising. Some people, like many African Americans and the elderly, are more affected by sodium than others. Since there's really no practical way to predict exactly who will be affected by sodium, it makes sense to limit intake of salt and sodium to help prevent high blood pressure.

All Americans, especially people with high blood pressure, should eat no more than about 2,400 milligrams of sodium - the amount contained in about 6 grams of salt. But remember to keep track of ALL sodium eaten -- including that in processed foods and added during cooking or at the table. Most Americans eat 4,000 to 6,000 milligrams of sodium a day, so most people need to cut back on salt and sodium.

You can teach your taste buds to enjoy less salty foods. Here are a few tips:

 

  • Check food labels for the amount of sodium in foods
  • Choose those lower in sodium whenever possible.
  • Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned with "no salt added" vegetables. Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.
  • Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table instead of salt.
  • Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes because they usually have added salt.
  • Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings, which often have a lot of sodium.
  • When available, buy low- or reduced- sodium, or "no-salt-added" versions of foods like soups, vegetables and vegetable juices, low-fat cheeses, margarine, condiments, crackers and baked goods, processed lean meats, and snack foods.
  • Use canned foods like tuna to remove some sodium.

 



4) If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So In Moderation
Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure or even help lead to the development of high blood pressure. To to help prevent high blood pressure, if you drink alcohol, limit how much you drink to no more than 2 drinks a day. The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" recommend that for overall health, women should limit their alcohol to no more than 1 drink a day.

This is what counts as a drink:

a-1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof or 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey.
b-5 ounces of wine.
c-12 ounces of beer (regular or light).

You may have heard that some alcohol is good for your heart health. Some news reports suggest that people who consume a drink or two a day have lower blood pressure and live longer than those who consume no alcohol or those who consume excessive amounts of alcohol. Others note that wine raises the "good" blood cholesterol that prevents the build up of fats in the arteries. While these news stories may be correct, they don't tell the whole story: Too much alcohol contributes to a host of other health problems, such as motor vehicle accidents, diseases of the liver and pancreas, damage to the brain and heart, an increased risk of many cancers, and fetal alcohol syndrome. In addition, alcohol is also high in calories -- just one more reason to limit how much you drink.

Information provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Article Source:http://healthlink.mcw.edu



4) If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So In Moderation
Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure or even help lead to the development of high blood pressure. To to help prevent high blood pressure, if you drink alcohol, limit how much you drink to no more than 2 drinks a day. The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" recommend that for overall health, women should limit their alcohol to no more than 1 drink a day.

This is what counts as a drink:

a-1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof or 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey.
b-5 ounces of wine.
c-12 ounces of beer (regular or light).

You may have heard that some alcohol is good for your heart health. Some news reports suggest that people who consume a drink or two a day have lower blood pressure and live longer than those who consume no alcohol or those who consume excessive amounts of alcohol. Others note that wine raises the "good" blood cholesterol that prevents the build up of fats in the arteries. While these news stories may be correct, they don't tell the whole story: Too much alcohol contributes to a host of other health problems, such as motor vehicle accidents, diseases of the liver and pancreas, damage to the brain and heart, an increased risk of many cancers, and fetal alcohol syndrome. In addition, alcohol is also high in calories -- just one more reason to limit how much you drink.

Information provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Article Source:http://healthlink.mcw.edu

Article By: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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