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Blood Pressure : Killing By Stealth
by Edward Vorwerden
http://www.rvhealth.com
Conservative estimates indicate that there are over 600
million adults worldwide suffering from hypertension, the
technical term for persistent high blood pressure. The
continued growth has caused doctors to define an additional
level of risk, prehypertension, as an indication of
potential trouble. Experts believe that as many as 90% of
us will develop a blood pressure problem during our
lifetime, with 50% of us either dying from heart disease or
a stroke - the usual outcome of hypertension.
As it does most of its harm without the person knowing it,
hypertension is often referred to as "The Stealth Killer."
Yet it's true that a few painless moments in a pressure
cuff can detect hypertension, and a few relatively simple
lifestyle changes can treat it.
This is not an excessively complex problem so what is going
so badly wrong, when everyone is bombarded with
advertising, and magazine articles that promote a healthy
lifestyle. For whatever reason the majority choose to
ignore the warning and continue doing all the "bad things"
such as drinking alcohol, eating high fat snacks, and
smoking.
Are You At Risk?
First lets understand the meaning of your blood pressure
reading. The reading is represented as two numbers, 140/90
or 160/100 for example. The first number is the pressure
against the walls of the blood vessels during a heartbeat,
the systolic pressure. The second and lower number reflects
the pressure taken between heartbeats, the diastolic
pressure. Below are the blood pressure levels recommended
by the American Heart Association (units mm Hg):-
Normal: 120 or less / 80 or less
Prehypertension: 120-139 ( systolic) or 80-89 (diastolic)
Stage 1 Hypertension: 140-159 or 90-99
Stage 2 Hypertension: 160 and above or 100 and above
Factors Beyond Your Control
African Americans and those with a dark complexion (e.g.,
Bahamians and Native Americans) are at a much higher risk.
While the reasons may not be clear, some believe that this
is due to genetic or environmental factors.
High blood pressure shows mercy to no-one. Men are more
inclined than their female counterparts to suffer from
hypertension before reaching the age of 55. Since women
tend to be more health-aware, they take preventive
measures to stave off hypertension, though they are still
susceptible to the disease.
As we increase in age, the risk of developing high blood
pressure increases, as well. Adults who are between the
ages of 50 and 65 are more likely to suffer from
hypertension. Changes within the body have a direct impact
on the heart, blood vessels and hormones. Partnered with
other risk factors, these changes can increase your
likelihood of developing hypertension.
Family history can also be a pointer to your risk level.
One in four of the adults that exhibit a family history of
heart disease or hypertension face a 60% risk of developing
hypertension. Genetics, environmental factors and your
ability to receive proper health care are all critical in
determining your risk of developing hypertension. Though
your family history may reflect a propensity to develop the
disease, this doesn't guarantee that you're destined to
suffer from high blood pressure. It does indicate, however,
that preventive measures should be taken in order reduce
your risk of the disease.
Factors We Can Change
Being aware of your risk is the first positive step you can
take in "lowering" your risk of hypertension Being
overweight or obese, a lack of exercise, eating badly,
smoking and drinking too much, all play a role. Changing
your lifestyle has a definite impact.
Hypertension is affected by excess weight in all kinds of
ways. Diets which are high in fat usually have a high salt
content, and this raises the blood pressure. Excessive
weight forces the heart to work more, pushing the blood
even harder through the vessels. Also the layer of fat
situated around the gut destroys a blood gas that is known
to help relax the vessels.
Take the first step toward lowering your risk by adopting
healthy eating habits. Heart specialists recommend a diet
low in fat, low in salt and high in nutrients. Stop eating
those salty snacks, processed foods, and cured meats.
Instead eat plenty more fruit and vegetables. Eating
smarter will see that needle on the bathroom scales drop,
as well as the pressure monitor.
Sodium can be a deadly enemy of the body. The most
popular dietary source of sodium is ingested through the
use of salt. Increasing your salt intake requires the body
to hold more water. The body first stores this water in the
bloodstream and then it deposits it in the tissues. Fluid
retention causes stress on the heart and escalates the
chances of developing high blood pressure. Potassium
helps promote a healthy balance of the amount of sodium in
cell fluids. Fruit - such as bananas - and vegetables are
an excellent source of potassium.
Physical activity, such as a short 20-minute walk or
housecleaning event, can have a dramatic impact on your
life. Any form of exercise assists your heart in the
effort to pump blood throughout your body. Lack of
exercise causes the heart to work harder, resulting in
elevated blood pressure. Strive for at least 30 minutes
of exercise three or four times per week.
Can there be anything worse for hypertension than smoking
tobacco? Smoking steps up the heart rate while hardening
and constricting the blood vessels. This creates even
higher pressure, which causes further damage to the heart
and blood vessels.
Alcohol consumption is harmful to your health in various
ways. An infrequent glass of beer or wine won't affect your
blood pressure significantly, but uncontrolled consumption
can cause serious health issues. Taking three or more
alcoholic beverages each day almost doubles your chances of
developing hypertension.
Get Smart
For those in the high risk category, a change of lifestyle
can decrease the chances of developing high blood pressure.
The adoption of a healthier life style is a goal that
everyone is capable of achieving. Instead of taking a
gamble, choose to take intelligent steps toward lowering
your risk of high blood pressure.
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