Been told you have hypertension? Your doctor probably advised you to get your blood pressure down asap, but why?
High blood pressure (hypertension) makes your heart work harder to pump blood around your body. The extra force used to push it around puts strain on on your blood vessels that can eventually damage your brain, kidneys, and eyes.
The average healthy person shoud have a blood pressure reading below 140/90mmHg, consistently higher and you have hypertension.
Sounds pretty worrying, right? Don’t worry, with a few simple life style changes, you can get your numbers down.
Lifestyle changes to get your blood pressure down
1. Lose a bit of weight:
- Aim for a ‘normal’ body mass index (BMI) of 18.5-24.9kg/m2 since there is a strong link between a high BMI and hypertension.
- If you have a BMI above 25, losing weight will get your blood pressure down.
2. Add fruit and veg, skip the salt:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Reduce salt intake (consume a maximum of 2400mg of sodium per day but ideally under 1500mg). An easy way to cut your salt is to avoid processed foods which are normally high in salt.
- Eat more foods that are high in potassium to limit the effects of sodium, such as spinach, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and raisins
3. Get a move on:
- Get exercising. A healthy heart can take the strain off your delicate blood vessels and lower your bp.
- Work your way up to 150 minutes per week – that’s just 20 minutes a day of brisk walking or enthiusiastic vacuuming!
4. Take a chill pill:
- Chronic stress is associated with hypertension due to an increased heart rate and constricted blood vessels
- Manage your stress levels using a method that works best for you. Many people have success using yoga, meditation, or tai chi
5. Cut back on the booze:
- If you drink alcohol, limit consumption to no more than 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women per day
- Alcohol can reduce the efficiency of hypertension medicines, so try to cut down where you can.
- It may also be beneficial to cut down on coffee and caffeine-based drinks especially if they get your heart racing.
6. Stop smoking:
- Avoid smoking cigarettes or cannabis. Inhaling any burning plant matter is bad for your heart and can damage your blood vessels causing hypertension
- Quitting smoking can limit the chances of developing heart disease and improve your general health
7. Sleep more:
- Sleep deprivation has been found to contribute to hypertension
- It is important to get restful sleep since blood pressure naturally drops during sleep
- If you can’t get the optimal 7-9 hours, napping can help make up the difference
Medications
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, controlling high blood pressure may require a long-term daily intake of blood pressure medicines.
Most patients are prescribed more than one type of medicine since drugs for hypertension work in different ways.
Common blood pressure medications include:
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB)
- Calcium channel blockers (CCB)
- Diuretics, such as indapamide
Did you know that certain antihypertensives can also lower your risk of dementia? Two for one! I’ll take it!
It is important to be aware of the side effects of blood pressure medicines.
A common side effect of ACE inhibitors is a persistent dry cough (10 in every 100 people are affected). Common side effects of CCB include swollen ankles, headaches, and heart palpitations.
Consult a doctor immediately if you have any side effects from medications.
Written by Albina Babu, MSc
References:
Latest research (2013). BHF. Retrieved from: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/research/blood-pressure
High blood pressure: prevention, treatment and research (2020). Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Go, A.S., et al. (2014). An effective approach to high blood pressure control: a science advisory from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hypertension, 63(4), pp.878-885.
Dimeo, F., et al. (2012). Aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure in resistant hypertension. Hypertension, 60(3), pp.653-658.
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
