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This week, I’ll be talking about hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure. How do we diagnose hypertension? Who are at risk of hypertension? How common is hypertension? I will also share with you the natural remedies for lowering blood pressure.
Hypertension is otherwise known as high blood pressure. This is a condition where the heart and arteries in your body are functioning at a higher than normal pressure, causing undue stress to your circulatory system. So when you look at your blood pressure machine, there is a SYS and a DIA. SYS or systolic pressure refers to the pressure of your artery when your heart is squeezing or contracting. This number is usually the bigger of the two. DIA or diastolic pressure refers to the pressure of your artery when your heart is relaxed. When your blood pressure machine shows the SYS number to be greater than 140mmhg or a DIA number greater than 90mmhg, then we will have to suspect that you have high blood pressure. This is when you go visit your family doctor for a further review to confirm the diagnosis.
So who is at risk of having hypertension? 1) smokers 2) alcoholics 3) Obese or overweight patients 4) sedentary lifestyle or low physical inactivity 5) diet that is too saltish and high in saturated and trans fat 6) increasing age 7) family history of hypertension 8) other medical conditions like diabetes or kidney disease
Hypertension is so common in Singapore. Based on 2017 data, hypertension occurs in more than 20% of our adults 18 to 69 years old. That’s 1 in 5 adults. Based on a study published on nature review, in 2015 alone, 8.5million deaths were associated with high blood pressure worldwide
So some of my patients will ask me, so what if I have hypertension? I feel perfectly healthy now. Indeed, a large majority of patients with hypertension do not have symptoms. But this does not mean you are well! Multiple large-scale studies have found that with every 20mmhg increase in systolic pressure and 10mmhg increase in diastolic pressure, there is a doubling in the risk of heart attacks and strokes. So while you may be feeling perfectly fine now, if you leave this pressure untreated, you are putting yourself at risk of getting a stroke or heart attack years down the road.
What are the steps to take to reduce your blood pressure the natural way? 1) Stop smoking Quitting can lower your blood pressure and heart rate almost immediately. Within 24 hours, your risk of heart attack declines already 2) Exercise Exercise has a tremendous effect on lowering blood pressure. Studies have shown that exercise alone can reduce 5-10mmhg of your blood pressure. Health promotion board Singapore has recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week for good health. What sort of exercise would I recommend? A good mix of aerobic activities with resistance training would be ideal. Brisk walking or running 2-3 times a week combined with light-resistant band training or weights training 2 times a week is a nice combination. 3) Sleep early and reduce stress. Having a stressful lifestyle increases the chance of you turning to smoke and alcohol as a form of escape. In addition, inadequate or stressful life situations can increase the release of the stress hormone in your body which can cause a tightening of your blood vessels and therefore a rise in your blood pressure. So, try to sleep early and reduce your stress by exercising, or meditating, or spending more time doing activities you enjoy and love to reduce your blood pressure. 4) watch what you eat. Reduce sodium intake, reduce fat intake, reduce sugar intake. The American Heart Association has dubbed six types of common food where high amounts of sodium may be lurking - the ” salty six” are namely - bread and rolls - cold cuts and cured meats - pizza - soup - sandwiches - poultry Cut all sugared and flavored drinks intake. In general, take more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and drink plenty of plain water.
0:00 Intro 0:37 What is hypertension 01:20 Risk factors of hypertension 01:52 How common is hypertension 02:19 Danger of hypertension 02:48 Natural treatment of Hypertension
