High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, which means the heart is working harder than normal to pump blood throughout the body.
In the US 1 in 3 adults have hypertension and are unaware of it.
Normal blood pressure is a reading of less than 120/80, pre-hypertension is a reading of 120-139/80-89, and hypertension is a reading of 140/90 or above.
You usually cannot feel high blood pressure so it is often referred to as “the silent killer.” Many people will not be aware they have high blood pressure until their blood pressure is checked at a routine doctor visit.
Who Develops Hypertension?
There are many risk factors for developing hypertension, including things we can and cannot control. For example we do not have control over our age, gender, race, ethnicity or family history. On the other hand, we may be able to manage sleep apnea, stress and obesity, and we can also improve lifestyle factors such as increasing activity level, reducing alcohol, stopping smoking, and reducing sodium intake.
What’s the Role of Salt?
Salt (sodium) attracts fluid in the body. The more sodium we consume in our diet, the more fluid our bodies retain.
When fluid levels in our bodies are elevated the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout our body. This leads to high blood pressure, especially if our arteries are already narrowed due to high cholesterol levels.
While our bodies do need some sodium to function properly, it is a good rule to keep sodium intake below 2000 mg per day, and if your blood pressure is already high, below 1500 mg per day is suggested.
Foods High in Salt
Foods high in sodium include table salt (a single serving packet contains 400 mg, a teaspoon is 2300 mg), canned foods, processed foods, salted snack foods, packaged deli meats and pickled vegetables. Restaurants also add a lot of salt when cooking, or may use high sodium flavorings such as soy sauce, MSG, or seasoning salts.
How to Eat Less Salt
There are many ways to reduce dietary sodium. Try to prepare and consume fresh foods whenever possible. Add spices or salt substitutes instead of table salt when flavoring food, such as Ms Dash, garlic/onion powders, and lemon.
Read labels carefully to identify amounts of sodium in packaged foods. It can also be helpful to ask if reduced salt options are available when dining out, or ask for sauces on the side.
Weight is a Factor
When we are above our ideal body weight, even by a few pounds, our heart has to work harder than necessary to pump enough blood to reach our entire body mass. A weight loss of even 5-10% of our body weight can cause a significant decrease in elevated blood pressure levels.
How Moderate Exercise Can Help
Exercise helps to strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system. The more we exercise the more efficient our heart becomes at pumping blood throughout the body, which helps to lower blood pressure.
Exercise can also help reduce stress. Aim for 30 minutes 5 days/week.