Blood pressure It’s not just something to think about when you get the numbers at your annual physical. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a potentially serious health condition that can damage your blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke. So it pays to do things that promote healthy blood pressure every day. Off to a good start: Avoid these five things that experts say are the biggest contributors to high blood pressure. Read on to learn more, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
According to the Mayo Clinic, reacting to stress with unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, overeating or drinking too much alcohol, can contribute to high blood pressure. To reduce your risk, find healthy coping mechanisms, including exercise, relaxation exercises, and meditation. Some of these activities (especially exercise) can lower blood pressure and contribute to heart health.
Drinking is not only bad for the liver. It’s also hard on your cardiovascular system, including your heart and arteries. “While a little alcohol can relax the arteries, too much seems to have the opposite effect,” he says. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Just one drink can raise your blood pressure for up to two hours. To reduce the risk of high blood pressure and other serious health problems, experts advise drinking alcohol in moderation. That means no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
Being overweight or obese is a major contributing factor to high blood pressure. It’s a simple matter of physics: “The more you weigh, the more blood you need to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues,” says the Mayo Clinic. “As the amount of blood flow through the blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on the walls of the arteries.” But you don’t have to lose a lot of weight to make a real difference in your health. If you’re overweight, losing just about eight pounds lowers your risk of high blood pressure. by 50 percent.
Sedentary people have 30 to 50 percent increased risk of high blood pressure than people who are more active. This is because exercise keeps the arteries flexible, while being sedentary makes them stiff, forcing blood to exert more pressure to keep flowing. The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking or gardening) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (such as running, swimming, or rowing) each week.
Eating an unhealthy diet that is high in sodium (salt) is possibly the main cause of high blood pressure. The CDC recommends that Americans consume no more than 2,300 mg (or about a teaspoon) of salt per day. About 90% of Americans eat more than that amount. Sodium causes the body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure. To stay healthy, check Nutrition Facts labels for sodium levels (some foods you might not expect, like canned soups and breads, can be high in sodium), and limit your intake of fast foods and processed foods. And to protect your life and that of others, do not visit any of these 35 places where you are most likely to get COVID.
Miguel Martin
Michael Martin is a writer and editor based in New York City whose health and lifestyle content has also been published on Beachbody and Openfit. A contributing writer for Eat This, Not That!, he has also been published in New York, Architectural Digest, Interview and many others. read more
