Hypertension guidelines 2023 | Changing lifestyle habits can lower blood pressure!

Manipulating your blood pressure normally is saving your life. The risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and even death, becomes greater with elevated blood pressure, even though many times there are no symptoms.

But many people's blood pressure control is not good, either very high or very volatile.

In addition to not taking medication regularly, one of the main reasons is: or keep their original habits, the food and drink, do not pay attention to the adjustment of the lifestyle.

There may be 2 thoughts behind it.

- All are now taking antihypertensive drugs, the way of life is not important.

- It is difficult to do this, and it is difficult to stick to an "ascetic" style of life.

In fact, adjusting your lifestyle is not as difficult as you think, and its impact on blood pressure is seriously overlooked.

It's not just antihypertensive drugs that can lower blood pressure 

The effect of lifestyle modification is underestimated

The key to controlling blood pressure is to take medication regularly as prescribed by your doctor.

Some common clinical antihypertensive drugs can significantly lower blood pressure after taking them. The right choice and combination can control blood pressure at normal levels.

But taking medication is not all, lifestyle adjustments are equally important.

A poor lifestyle, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and a high-salt diet ...... will continue to aggravate the deterioration of blood vessels and blood pressure; while a good lifestyle will not only reduce the use of antihypertensive drugs, but also ensure a smooth blood pressure.

To really make blood pressure smoother and reduce the risk of various serious diseases, then you have to make adjustments to your lifestyle based on regular medication.

Lifestyle changes are also a 'treatment option' that has a definite control effect.

For example, the guidelines for hypertension prevention and control published in the United States give the effect of different lifestyle modifications on blood pressure.

Because of the clear effect, the mainstream medical community now recommends that lifestyle modification is the first treatment considered for patients with mild to moderate, early stage hypertension, and that antihypertensive medication be started when lifestyle modification does not provide good control of blood pressure.

Even if you are already taking antihypertensive medication, lifestyle modification is a very good complement to medication, promoting the efficacy of antihypertensive medication, helping to control blood pressure and reducing medication dosage.

So what exactly should be done? 

In fact, lifestyle adjustments are not as difficult as people think.

Change one or two small habits

You can have a significant effect on blood pressure

1. Eat less sodium (salt) to lower blood pressure by 2 to 8 mmHg

The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. An average increase in dietary sodium intake of 2 grams per day will increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 2.0 mmHg and 1.2 mmHg respectively.

The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends that adults consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day, but actual research has found that the average daily salt intake per person is 10.5 grams, which is more than twice the target.

Salt control requires immediate action.

But salt control is not about making your meals bland and tasteless, nor is it about simply not eating salt from before tomorrow. Rather, through some small tips and habits, a little bit to reduce sodium intake, so that not only effective, but also enjoy the food.

• Reduce the amount of salt in your meals
• Use natural foods instead of processed foods
• Eat fresh fruits instead of various desserts and dried fruits

2. Eat more potassium to help lower blood pressure by 2 to 5 mmHg

Foods high in potassium can promote sodium excretion, allowing blood pressure to rise more slowly and less.

There is no one food that can directly lower blood pressure (if there were, it would be medicine), but eating more potassium-rich foods can be helpful in controlling blood pressure.

Where is the potassium? In addition to using low sodium and high potassium salt, it is very important to eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, and mixed legumes.

• Eat enough fresh fruits and Vegetables every day
• A variety of mixed grains and legumes, one third of the main food

3. Blood pressure can be significantly lowered with consistent exercise

The good news is that just exercising, even at low intensity, can significantly lower blood pressure. The effect of blood pressure reduction is even more dramatic when regular exercise is performed.

Data show that regular aerobic exercise can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 11 and 8 mmHg, respectively.

You can start with the following exercises and work your way up from simple to complex to 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week.

• Go around the house more and do small chores as you go
• 2-3 times a week more than 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
• Do some strength training to increase muscle strength

If you do well with diet and exercise, you may also have a surprise - weight loss!

Weight loss can also significantly lower blood pressure, with each 1 kg reduction in body weight lowering blood pressure by 1 mmHg.

In short, hypertension is a slow disease, and to some extent, every bad habit from the past pulls blood pressure up a little more.

To control blood pressure, it is very important to change your lifestyle habits.

These suggestions above are not meant to be done all at once, nor are they meant to change all bad habits immediately. Rather, start with one or two and develop good habits little by little, making it more difficult little by little.

As more and more good habits are developed, change will happen naturally and will not be as painful.

I hope more people will forward this content and work together to develop a program that works for their family and urge them to take action.