Category: Blood Pressure

The best things to do in order to prevent and treat high blood pressure.

Lifestyle changes should be the first line strategy for preventing and treating high blood pressure, a review suggests.

Good quality sleep, mindfulness, eating dietary fibre, and exercise are among those changes that should be implemented as part of a healthy lifestyle.

While avoiding or reducing exposure to air pollution, smoking, eating salt or sugar, and drinking alcohol are among necessary lifestyle modifications for blood pressure control.

The findings are based on clinical and scientific evidence from 18 countries that looked at effective lifestyle changes for the treatment of hypertension.

Lifestyle interventions

1. Build healthy habits from early life.
2. Eat healthy: more fruits and vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy, and fish but less red meat, sugar, and salt.
3. Drink healthy: consider beetroot juice, pomegranate juice, cocoa, and hibiscus tea, drink unsweetened coffee and tea moderately, and avoid or reduce alcohol.
4. Physical activity: increase exercises including brisk walking, muscle strengthening and aerobics, avoid sedentary behaviours such as sitting too long.
5. Healthy weight: monitor weight values and waist circumference.
6. Stress reduction: good quality sleep, mindfulness, yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, music therapy, acts of kindness, and gratitude.
7. Reduce exposure to pollution: exercise in parks or gardens and stay away from busy roadways, consider air filtration systems.
8. Avoid passive smoke and stop smoking.

Hypertension is characterized as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140 mmHg or higher and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90 mmHg or more.

The condition affects 1.5 billion people globally.

While there are some effective drugs, due to their side effects it is best to begin with some lifestyle modifications.

Professor , the study’s first author, said:

“Our aim was to provide a holistic set of recommendations for changes to lifestyle, which focus on all areas of health, including movement and bodyweight, food and drink, the body and mind, as well as other factors such as exposure to air pollution.”

Professor Bryan Williams, the study’s senior author, said:

“It all sounds like it is a bit soft and fluffy and not as dynamic, for example, as taking drugs but these things make such an important contribution to reducing the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system and the evidence is accumulating.

There’s so much people can do for themselves.

All of us need to take a step back and say, actually, I should be able to find half an hour in my day to have a little bit of time to myself and decompress and just relax—whether it’s listening to music, going for a walk or going to the gym and doing some exercise.”

Related

• The emotion of gratitude can help to reduce blood pressure.
• Healthy eating, brain training, exercise and good medical management may prevent dementia.
• Lingonberry juice is powerful enough to improve blood vessel function.
• Eating more fruits and vegetables can increase levels of happiness.
• Older adults who have a busy lifestyle also have better cognitive function.

The study was published in the Journal of Hypertension (Fadi et al., 2023).

A common complaint that increases brain aging, unless treated.

High blood pressure, at any age or for any duration, accelerates brain aging, a study finds.

People with high blood pressure are at greater risk of memory problems and difficulties concentrating and talking fluently.

Around half of all Americans have high blood pressure, which is simply treated with a combination of lifestyle changes and medication.

The cut-off for high blood pressure is around 120 to 130 mmHg (this is the top number on the reading).

Sometimes this range is known as ‘prehypertension’, but the study still found this level damaging to cognitive skills over time.

High blood pressure is problematic for young and old, explained Professor Sandhi M. Barreto, study co-author:

“We initially anticipated that the negative effects of hypertension on cognitive function would be more critical when hypertension started at a younger age, however, our results show similar accelerated cognitive performance decline whether hypertension started in middle age or at older ages.

We also found that effectively treating high blood pressure at any age in adulthood could reduce or prevent this acceleration.

Collectively, the findings suggest hypertension needs to be prevented, diagnosed and effectively treated in adults of any age to preserve cognitive function.”

The conclusions come from an analyses of over 7,000 people in Brazil who were tracked for almost four years.

The results showed that people’s cognitive skills declined if their blood pressure was over 121 mmHg and they did not take medication.

People with uncontrolled hypertension showed the worst declines in thinking skills.

Professor Barreto said:

“In addition to other proven benefits of blood pressure control, our results highlight the importance of diagnosing and controlling hypertension in patients of any age to prevent or slow down cognitive decline.

Our results also reinforce the need to maintain lower blood pressure levels throughout life, since even prehypertension levels were associated with cognitive decline.”

The study was published in the journal Hypertension (Teles De Menezes et al., 2020).

A dietary pattern that can reduce blood pressure effectively, even if consumed with some dairy and meat products.

Even less strict plant-based diets containing small amounts of animal products can also lower blood pressure, a review reveals.

Researchers from Warwick Medical School point out that dietary patterns containing higher amounts of plant-based foods, if married to small amounts of animal-based foods such as meat and diary will still reduce blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

The team compared seven plant-based diets including the Mediterranean, DASH, vegetarian, high fibre, vegan, high fruit and vegetables, and Nordic.

Several of these diets contained some animal products, but results showed that they exert a similar effect on blood pressure as has been seen in strict vegetarian diets.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, therefore decreases in blood pressure would have a significant positive impact on public health.

The global death rate and number of diseases caused by poor diets are much higher than excessive drinking, smoking, unsafe sex, and drug abuse put together.

Every year about 5 million death could be prevented by eating a more plant-based diet rich in whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

The research team wanted to see if plant-based diets have to be free from any animal product in order to lower blood pressure sufficiently.

Mr Joshua Gibbs, the study’s first author, said:

“We reviewed 41 studies involving 8,416 participants, in which the effects of seven different plant-based diets (including DASH, Mediterranean, Vegetarian, Vegan, Nordic, high fibre and high fruit and vegetables) on blood pressure were studied in controlled clinical trials.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of these studies showed that most of these diets lowered blood pressure.

The DASH diet had the largest effect reducing blood pressure by 5.53/3.79 mmHg compared to a control diet, and by 8.74/6.05 mmHg when compared to a ‘usual’ diet.

A blood pressure reduction of the scale caused by a higher consumption of plant-based diets, even with limited animal products would result in a 14% reduction in strokes, a 9% reduction in heart attacks and a 7% reduction in overall mortality.

This is a significant finding as it highlights that complete eradication of animal products is not necessary to produce reductions and improvements in blood pressure.

Essentially, any shift towards a plant-based diet is a good one.”

Professor Francesco Cappuccio, study senior author, said:

“The adoption of plant-based dietary patterns would also play a role in global food sustainability and security.

They would contribute to a reduction in land use due to human activities, to global water conservation and to a significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emission.

The study shows the efficacy of a plant-based diet on blood pressure. However, the translation of this knowledge into real benefits to people, i.e. its effectiveness, depends on a variety of factors related to both individual choices and to governments’ policy decisions.

For example, for an individual, the ability to adopt a plant-based diet would be influenced by socio-economic factors (costs, availability, access), perceived benefits and difficulties, resistance to change, age, health status, low adherence due to palatability and acceptance.

To overcome these barriers, we ought to formulate strategies to influence beliefs about plant-based diets, plant food availability and costs, multisectoral actions to foster policy changes focusing on environmental sustainability of food production, science gathering and health consequences.”

The study was published in the journal Journal of Hypertension (Gibbs et al., 2020).

This sign is linked to a 40 percent greater chance of high blood pressure.

Repeated trips to the toilet in the night can be a sign of high blood pressure, research concludes.

The more times a person needs to go in the night, the higher the risk.

Nocturia — as night time urination is known to doctors — is linked to a 40 percent greater chance of high blood pressure.

Dr Satoshi Konno, the study’s first author, said:

“Our study indicates that if you need to urinate in the night—called nocturia—you may have elevated blood pressure and/or excess fluid in your body.

If you continue to have nocturia, ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and salt intake.”

The Japanese study included 1,882 people who had their blood pressure measured and who were asked how often they urinated in the night.

Over two-thirds suffered from nocturia.

Dr Konno explained the results:

“We found that getting up in the night to urinate was linked to a 40% greater chance of having hypertension.

And the more visits to the toilet, the greater the risk of hypertension.”

Professor Barbara Casadei, president of the European Society of Cardiology, said:

“More than one billion people have high blood pressure worldwide.

High blood pressure is the leading global cause of premature death, accounting for almost ten million deaths in 2015.

ESC guidelines recommend medication to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.

A healthy lifestyle is also advised, including salt restriction, alcohol moderation, healthy eating, regular exercise, weight control, and smoking cessation.”

The Japanese have a particular problem with high blood pressure (hypertension), said Dr Mutsuo Harada:

“Hypertension is a national disease in Japan.

The average salt intake in Japan is approximately 10 g/day, which is more than double the average salt intake worldwide (4 g/day).

This excessive salt intake is related to our preference for seafood and soy sauce-based food, so salt restriction is difficult to carry out.”

The study was presented at the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS 2019).

This routine daily behaviour found to be a sign of high blood pressure and stroke.

Taking an afternoon nap has previously been suggested to fight fatigue, improve memory and mood, and in general be good for health.

However, a study reveals that regular napping during the day increases the odds of high blood pressure by 12 percent and stroke by 24 percent.

Other warning signs of high blood pressure can include dizziness, chest pain, headache, shortness of breath, blurry vision, and nosebleeds.

Daily napping

While short naps are sometimes healthy, they can be a symptom of poor sleep and lead to a higher risk of heart disease, and diabetes.

According to the study, people who nap every day are more likely to be men, smokers, drinkers, insomniacs, have lower income and education, to snore, and typically be an evening person.

The results show that as the number of naps increases (from not at all to occasionally or occasionally to often), the likelihood of having high blood pressure soars by 40 percent.

The analysis shows frequent nappers who were under 60 years old were 20 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than those who didn’t have the habit of napping.

The risk for participants who were older than 60 and napped often was increased by 10 percent compared to those who never took naps.

The team used UK Biobank data from 358,451 participants with no history of hypertension or stroke with a follow-up of 11 years.

The subjects were divided into 3 groups (never or rarely, sometimes, and usually napping) based on self-reported daytime nap frequency.

Dr Michael Grandner, an expert on sleep and health, commenting on the study, said:

“This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night.

Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that.

This study echoes other findings that generally show that taking more naps seems to reflect increased risk for problems with heart health and other issues.”

How to lower blood pressure

Many studies have found that following a healthy diet, exercise, and getting good quality sleep will reduce hypertension dramatically.

For example one study shows that food containing potassium along with lower sodium, can help to reduce hypertension.

A review suggests that even less strict plant-based diets containing small amounts of animal products can also lower blood pressure.

A UK study found that a diet high in flavanols such as berries, nuts, cocoa products, apples, and tea can improve blood circulation and vascular health.

Another study shows that a little exercise plus following the DASH diet leads to a remarkable reduction in blood pressure and weight loss.

This study was published in the journal Hypertension (Yang et al., 2022).

Drinking this uncommon juice can lower blood pressure.

The lingonberry is a tiny red berry similar to a cranberry, but powerful enough to improve blood vessel function, research finds.

Drinking lingonberry juice in the long-term will lower blood pressure by widening the blood vessels and relaxing the smooth muscle cells within the arteries.

Many people experience elevated blood pressure and many are at risk of vascular disease caused by disturbances in blood vessel function.

Nutrition, in addition to medicatio, plays an essential role in managing hypertension and related disorders, like heart disease.

An experimental study found that an eight-week treatment with concentrated lingonberry juice reduced blood pressure in hypertensive rats.

Berries, tea, cocoa, vegetables and fruits rich in polyphenol, an antioxidant, have been shown to improve cardiovascular health.

Nordic berries such as lingonberry, blackcurrant, cranberry and bilberry are excellent sources of polyphenols, including flavonoids, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins.

Lingonberry juice given to genetically hypertensive rats stopped the expression of genes causing inflammation in the aorta but other berry juices were not as effective.

It is possible that lingonberry juice has an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the serum levels of certain hormones that are responsible for increasing blood pressure.

It also enhances nitric oxide production which in turn makes blood vessels widen and improves vascular function.

Ms Anne Kivimäki, the study’s author, said:

“‘These experimental findings need evidence from comparative clinical studies on healthy individuals with slightly elevated blood pressure who, at this point, have been given nutritional and lifestyle guidance instead of drug therapy.

Lingonberry juice is no substitute for medication, but it is a good dietary supplement.

The study was accessed through E-thesis service Helsingin yliopisto (Kivimäki et al., 2019).

The foods and drink that lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease.

Eating berries, nuts, cocoa products, apples, and drinking tea have been found to improve blood circulation and vascular health.

These foods and drink are rich in flavanols, a type of polyphenol that has powerful antioxidant effects.

A diet high in flavanols is an effective way to reduce blood pressure and prevent cardio-vascular diseases.

A UK study of more than 25,000 people examined the link between flavanols as bioactive compounds and human health.

They found that people with high blood pressure have lower flavanol levels than those with normal blood pressure.

Between the lowest and highest levels of flavanol intake there was a 4 mmHg difference in blood pressure.

This means a diet rich in flavanols has the same effect in reducing blood pressure as a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or a Mediterranean diet.

Professor Gunter Kuhnle, the study’s senior author, said:

“What this study gives us is an objective finding about the association between flavanols — found in tea and some fruits — and blood pressure.

This research confirms the results from previous dietary intervention studies and shows that the same results can be achieved with a habitual diet rich in flavanols.

In the British diet, the main sources are tea, cocoa, apples and berries.”

The beneficial effect of flavanols on vascular function was even higher for those with the highest blood pressure.

These findings suggest that the incidence of cardiovascular disease will reduce if people increase their intake of flavanol-rich foods and drinks.

Flavanols are a class of flavonoids able to reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which decreases heart disease risk.

A study by Johnson et al., found that participants who ate a daily intake of one cup of blueberries after 8 weeks had a 7 mm/Hg reduction in their systolic blood pressure and 5 mm/Hg reduction in their diastolic blood pressure.

The effect of lowering blood pressure and arterial stiffness may be due to a rise in nitric oxide production in the blood vessels.

These antioxidants have an anti-inflammatory effect as well as increasing the production of nitric oxide in the body.

Dr Hagen Schroeter, study co-author, said:

“This study adds key insights to a growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of dietary flavanols in health and nutrition.

But, perhaps even more exciting was the opportunity to apply objective biomarkers of flavanol intake at a large scale.

This enabled the team to avoid the significant limitations that come with past approaches which rely on estimating intake based on self-reported food consumption data and the shortcomings of current food composition databases.”

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports (Ottaviani et al., 2020).