Making an effort to prevent high blood
pressure can reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other serious
illnesses. If you are at risk for hypertension, take these steps to help
prevent it. By Krisha
McCoy
High blood pressure, which is also called
hypertension, increases your risk of developing many serious health problems,
including heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. It is estimated
that nearly one out of every three Americans has high blood pressure.
While you can't always control whether you get high
blood pressure, there are healthy lifestyle habits you can develop to help
prevent hypertension and reduce your risk of high blood pressure-related health
problems in the future.
Hypertension Prevention Factors You Can Control
Your age, along with a family
history of hypertension and ethnicity are among the hypertension risk factors
that are out of your control. When it comes to preventing high blood pressure,
the idea is to focus on the risk factors that you can change.
"We can't do anything
about our age, but we can do something about our lifestyle," says Gbenga
Ogedegbe, MD, MPH, a clinical hypertension specialist, director of the Center
for Healthful Behavior Change, and associate professor of medicine for the
division of general internal medicine at New York University School of Medicine
in New York City.
To avoid a hypertension diagnosis, make these
healthy lifestyle choices:
1. Maintain a
healthy weight. When it comes to hypertension prevention, your weight is
crucial, says Dr. Ogedegbe. People who are overweight should try to lose
weight, and people of normal weight should avoid adding on any pounds. If you
are carrying extra weight, losing as little as 10 pounds can help prevent high
blood pressure. Talk with your doctor about the best weight for you.
2. Eat a
balanced diet. Eating healthful foods can help keep your blood pressure
under control. Get plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in
potassium, and limit your intake of excess calories, fat, and sugar. Consider
following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
3. Cut back on
salt. For many people, eating a low-sodium diet can help keep blood
pressure normal. "The higher the sodium intake, the higher the blood
pressure," says Ogedegbe. You can cut back on your total salt intake by
avoiding high-sodium packaged and processed foods and not adding extra salt to
your meals. "I tell people to stay away from salt shakers," adds
Ogedegbe
4. Exercise
regularly. Get moving to prevent hypertension. "Physical
activity is crucial," says Ogedegbe. The more exercise you get, the
better, but even a little bit can help control blood pressure. Moderate
exercise for about 30 minutes three times a week is a good start.
5. Limit the
alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure.
For women, that means no more than one drink a day, and for men, no more than two.
6. Monitor your
blood pressure. Make sure that you have your blood pressure measured
regularly, either at your doctor's office or at home. High blood pressure often
occurs with no symptoms, so only blood pressure readings will tell you if
your blood pressure is on the rise. If your doctor determines that you have
prehypertension — blood pressure in the range of 120-139/80-89 millimeters of
mercury (mmHg) that puts you at increased risk of developing hypertension —
your doctor may recommend extra steps as a safeguard.
Take a look at your lifestyle habits and decide
where you can make changes to help prevent hypertension. Conquer small goals,
such as snacking on fruits and vegetables instead of junk food, and continue to
practice these good habits until they are a part of your daily routine.
Adopting these lifestyle changes can help prevent
high blood pressure if your blood pressure is currently under control or lead
to lower blood pressure if your numbers are already elevated.
WPPJr
Editor/Publisher
Editor/Publisher
