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8 ways to reduce your risk for hypertension |
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Posted Sunday, November 28, 2004
Quit Smoking
There are few things worse for hypertension than tobacco, which increases heart rate while hardening and constricting the blood vessels. That leads to even higher pressure, which in turn further damages the heart and blood vessels. Kicking the habit is one important way to break the deadly cycle.
Lose Weight
Being overweight contributes to hypertension in all sorts of ways. High-fat diets are often high in salt, which boosts blood pressure. Carrying extra weight also causes the heart to work more, forcing blood even harder through the vessels. And fat situated around the gut destroys a blood gas that helps the vessels relax.
Eat Smart
The government recommends the low-fat, low-salt, high-nutrient DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet. On any diet, go easy on processed foods, salty snacks, cured meats and calories. Load up on fruits and vegetables. That can lower the needles on the bathroom scale and pressure monitor.
Get Moving
At least half an hour of exercise (even brisk walking) three or four days a week can go a long way toward reining in blood pressure. Check with your doctor before beginning any workout program, particularly if you are out of shape, have cardiovascular problems or simply haven't worked out in a long time.
Drink Less
Alcohol should be held to two drinks a day or fewer for men and one or fewer for women or for men with a small body mass. A drink is 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of liquor. In the very short term, alcohol is a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to relax and pressure to fall. But over time, it has the opposite effect.
Take Your Medicine
There are five main categories of drugs, and they work by either ridding the body of excess fluids or relaxing constricted vessels. Some cases of prehypertension and most cases of full-blown hypertension need a pharmacological boost, but it's still important to exercise and eat a healthy diet.
Unwind Your Mind
The more stressed you are, the higher your pressure can go. Meditation, yoga and similar techniques may help you—and your vessels—relax, in part by fighting the release of stress chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline. But this too is just an adjunct to lifestyle changes and drug treatment, not a treatment in itself.
See Your Doctor
In most cases, hypertension is chronic, which means you will always need to be checked to make sure it's under control. Home monitors can help you keep an eye on your pressure between appointments. In some situations, your doctor may ask you to wear a small 24-hour monitor to record your pressure load through a day.
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