There are revised guidelines to determine if you have high blood pressure, so please read this update! Then get your blood pressure taken (you can get it done at supermarkets or pharmacies that have sit-down equipment). In today's blog you'll read about the new blood pressure guidelines, What it causes, How to Reduce it******************************************
There’s a new way to classify blood pressure readings, and the biggest change is for anyone who’s been described as “prehypertensive” or “high normal.”
Millions of Americans earned those labels for having a top number of 120-139 or a bottom number of 80-89. They were encouraged to make lifestyle changes that would drop those numbers into the comfort zone of being below 120/80. Under new guidelines released Monday, the warning zone for adults, now called “elevated blood pressure,” is trimmed to 120-129 for the top number. Anyone with 130-139 on top or in the 80s on the bottom is now considered to have high blood pressure.
WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE?
Blood pressure is the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels.
When it’s consistently too high, it can damage the delicate tissues inside the
arteries – reducing their ability to help the vessels widen or dilate when they
need to, and further raising the blood pressure.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CONSISTENTLY HIGH - It’s a vicious cycle
than can lead to all sorts of devastating complications: heart attacks, heart
failure, stroke, problems with blood flow to your legs and your kidneys, and
vision problems. It can even lead to sexual dysfunction.
CAUSES THAT INCREASE
BLOOD PRESSURE:
Poor Diet: “If
you worry at the gas station about what goes into your car, you should also
worry about what you eat,” Whelton said. In general, this means consuming less
sodium and more fiber and potassium. The DASH diet is a popular solution; after
all, the acronym stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Another
good one is the Mediterranean diet.
Lack of Physical
Activity: Getting active can mean walking, running or cycling, which
happens to be Whelton’s favorite. Find the exercise that best fits your
lifestyle.
Alcohol consumption:
Moderate how many alcoholic drinks you have with an eye toward abstaining. “If
you don’t drink, don’t start. If you do drink, no more than two drinks per day
in men and one in women is a standard recommendation,” Whelton said.
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com
