6 Free Ways To Prevent Hypertension

6 Free Ways To Prevent Hypertension

Before everything else, I would just like to share this information I got from the World Health Organization Hypertension fact sheet.

Hypertension is considered to be one of the most important causes of premature death worldwide and this problem is growing.

It is estimated that by year 2025, 1.56 billion adults will be living with hypertension.

Sad to say that today, nearly one billion people have hypertension (high blood pressure) and two-thirds of these are in developing countries.

Every year, 8 million people die from hypertension worldwide and about 20 percent of it come from the South-East Asia region. One-third of the adult population in the SEA region has high blood pressure.

As a future doctor, current medical student, and long-time nurse, I always believe that Prevention is better than cure. So here are some ways (lifestyle modifications) that you can do to prevent hypertension from developing or even manage your hypertension if you already have it so that you can prevent further complications.

Note: These are not substitutes to your Anti-Hypertensive medications but sure thing they’re both GOOD partners.

1. Lower the SALT in your diet

Having a dietary sodium intake to no more than 6 grams a day can give you a systolic blood pressure reduction of about 2-8 mm Hg.

2. Have a regular EXERCISE

Even brisk walking for 30 minutes a day or exercising 4 to 6 times a week can give you a 4-9 mm Hg blood pressure reduction.

3. Follow a DASH diet

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products with reduced content of saturated and total fat. An 8 week DASH diet can demonstrate a blood pressure reduction of 8-14 mm Hg.

4. Limit ALCOHOL consumption

If you are a heavy drinker, I suggest that you limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day (men) and no more than one drink per day (women and lighter-weight persons). The prize? – a 2-4 mm Hg blood pressure reduction.

  

5. Manage and reduce your WEIGHT

Your goal is to attain and maintain a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9. You can have a blood pressure reduction of 5-20 mm Hg per 10-kg weight loss.

There are numerous BMI calculators online; I suggest you use this: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

6. Stop SMOKING

Even though this may be hard to give up to some individuals who are already addicted to it but Hey, this can reduce your overall cardiovascular risks like stroke and heart attack.

Those individuals who already are hypertensive can really benefit from the blood pressure reduction from each lifestyle modification. For those who do not have hypertension but is at risk, start now and prevent it from developing.

One more thing, DISCIPLINE plays a key role in implementing these practices. It is also important to get a regular blood pressure check at your nearest hospital, clinic, or health center because hypertension (high blood pressure) often has no warning signs or symptoms, and a lot of people do not realize they have it – no wonder why it’s called the “Silent Killer”.