No pressure: lower your blood pressure risks

High blood pressure left untreated can lead to heart disease and stroke, but sustaining a healthy, steady blood pressure level could add five years to your life.

If there was something you could do to add 5 years to your life, would you do it? Well, there is - and you should! By maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, you may live an average of 5 years longer than if you had high blood pressure.

High blood pressure poses such life-threatening danger to your health in two ways. Picture your heart as a pump and the blood vessels as a set of pipes. The first problem happens when the pressure is too high in the pipes, which damages the blood vessel walls. This can harden the arteries and cause the build-up of fatty plaque, which leads to narrowed and eventually blocked arteries. The second problem happens when the heart has to then pump into a high-pressure system, forcing your heart to work too hard and too inefficiently. All of this puts you at an increased risk for stroke, heart attacks, other heart diseases, and kidney failure.

Despite the obvious dangers of high blood pressure, it often sneaks up silently. Most people who have it don't even know they have it. Family history can play a role, as can ethnic background and advancing age. Certain lifestyle habits may also multiply your risk, including poor nutrition, smoking, being overweight, and leading an inactive lifestyle.

There are things you can do today and everyday to reduce high blood pressure and your risk for heart disease. Here are eight ways to gain that five-year edge:

Know your numbers. No matter your age or risk profile, you should have your blood pressure measured at least once every two years. If your doctor told you that you have high blood pressure, then your blood pressure should be measured at least once a year. The Canadian Hypertension Society states that blood pressure for most people should be less than 140/90 mmHg. For people with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, the blood pressure should be even lower at under 130/80 mmHg. Write down your blood pressure readings so you can keep track of your levels. Other important numbers are your cholesterol, your waist circumference, and your blood sugar.
DASH to a healthier diet. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet encourages eating foods rich in nutrients and low in sodium, cholesterol, and total fat. Each day, find ways to work in eight to ten servings of fruit and vegetables and two servings of low-fat dairy products. Go for whole grain breads and cereals, and limit salty, greasy, high-fat, and high-sugar foods. Eat Right Ontario is a good resource for tips on eating healthy and to access registered dietitians for free.
Shake off the salt. Did you know that a slice of pepperoni pizza can have 1,123 mg of sodium? That’s almost half the recommended amount of daily sodium intake! Salt pulls water into your blood vessels and makes the pressure higher. Reduce sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day (that's about one teaspoon of salt). Watch for hidden sources of salt, like prepared soups, canned foods, processed meats, soy sauce, condiments like ketchup and mustard, and anything pickled.
Limit alcohol. Cut down your intake of alcohol to only one or two standard drinks per day to a weekly maximum of 14 drinks for men or 9 drinks for women. One standard drink is equal to one bottle of regular strength beer, 43 mL (1 and ½ ounces) of spirits, or 142 mL (5 ounces) of wine. If you drink excessively and have high blood pressure, cutting back by about four drinks per day can lower your blood pressure by about two to four points.
Clear the air. Stop smoking and reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke. Smoking increases blood pressure, which leads to a build-up of plaque in your arteries and a tightening of blood vessels.
Maintain a healthy weight. For every kilogram of weight you lose, you also drop about one point from your blood pressure readings. Your best weight range is calculated based on your height and weight, a number called the body mass index (BMI). A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Another way to determine if your weight is healthy is to measure your Waist-to-Hip ratio.
Pump it up. Plain and simple, aerobic exercise makes your heart healthier. And a healthier heart pumps blood more efficiently. Lower your blood pressure by about four to five points with just 30 to 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity most days of the week. Think you can't fit in that much fitness? Take this to heart: research has revealed that four brisk 10-minute walks throughout the day have the same positive impact on blood pressure as one 40-minute session.
Soothe stress. Make relaxation a priority in each day. Moments of stress can send blood pressure soaring. Some stress can be a good thing but high stress levels and constant stress can increase your risk of heart disease. Being physically active is also a great way to relieve stress.

Resources

Conditions database - High Blood Pressure
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Heart & Stroke Foundation - Risk Assessment Quiz
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Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Click here