Dazzler
10-02-2009, 07:42 AM
As people live longer, their risk of developing hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher) increases, particularly after age 45. "Overweight and obesity are a big part of the increasing prevalence," says Dr. Jeffrey Cutler, a consultant to the NHLBI and National Institutes of Health (NIH). "The increasing consumption of salt in our diets may be a factor too, because obesity raises a person’s sensitivity to the blood-pressure-raising effects of salt." There are steps you can take to reduce your risk, though, no matter what your age or current health.
1. Lose Weight
A study at the University of Padua in Italy found that overweight people who lost between 9% and 13% of their body weight experienced on average a 6.2-point drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 3.6-point drop in their diastolic pressure (the bottom number)—improvements that were sustained six years later.
2. Change How You Eat
Some people appear to be more sensitive to salt than others, putting them at higher risk for developing hypertension. Nevertheless, doctors recommend that most people lower their salt intake and increase their potassium. An easy way to do this is to follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) plan, which the NIH developed to lower blood pressure without medication. It has less salt, fat, and sugar than the typical American diet and includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, whole-grain products, fish, poultry, nuts, and seeds.
3. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can improve your aerobic conditioning, which will result in a healthy drop in blood pressure, explains Dr. Dom enic A. Sica, a professor of medicine and chairman of clinical pharmacology and hypertension at Virginia Commonwealth University. It doesn’t have to be vigorous: In a recent review of 26 studies, researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School’s Osher Institute concluded that low-impact exercises such as tai chi can reduce blood pressure. Meanwhile, a study at Syracuse University found that resistance training can lower blood pressure in those who have pre- or stage-1 hypertension.
4. Get Enough Sleep
“When you go to sleep at night, blood pressure typically drops 15% to 30%, and your heart rate can drop as much as 30%,” says Dr. Sica. The overnight reduction can positively affect your blood pressure the next day. On the other hand, a short or fragmented night’s sleep can produce the opposite effect, increasing blood pressure the next day.
Source (http://www.parade.com/export/sites/default/health/slideshows/wellness/lower-your-blood-pressure.html_71192267.html)
1. Lose Weight
A study at the University of Padua in Italy found that overweight people who lost between 9% and 13% of their body weight experienced on average a 6.2-point drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 3.6-point drop in their diastolic pressure (the bottom number)—improvements that were sustained six years later.
2. Change How You Eat
Some people appear to be more sensitive to salt than others, putting them at higher risk for developing hypertension. Nevertheless, doctors recommend that most people lower their salt intake and increase their potassium. An easy way to do this is to follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) plan, which the NIH developed to lower blood pressure without medication. It has less salt, fat, and sugar than the typical American diet and includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, whole-grain products, fish, poultry, nuts, and seeds.
3. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can improve your aerobic conditioning, which will result in a healthy drop in blood pressure, explains Dr. Dom enic A. Sica, a professor of medicine and chairman of clinical pharmacology and hypertension at Virginia Commonwealth University. It doesn’t have to be vigorous: In a recent review of 26 studies, researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School’s Osher Institute concluded that low-impact exercises such as tai chi can reduce blood pressure. Meanwhile, a study at Syracuse University found that resistance training can lower blood pressure in those who have pre- or stage-1 hypertension.
4. Get Enough Sleep
“When you go to sleep at night, blood pressure typically drops 15% to 30%, and your heart rate can drop as much as 30%,” says Dr. Sica. The overnight reduction can positively affect your blood pressure the next day. On the other hand, a short or fragmented night’s sleep can produce the opposite effect, increasing blood pressure the next day.
Source (http://www.parade.com/export/sites/default/health/slideshows/wellness/lower-your-blood-pressure.html_71192267.html)