High Blood Pressure - The Silent Killer

Hello there, you unsuspecting human. Let's have a chat about that lovely thing we call high blood pressure. Isn't it just wonderful how it lurks silently, like that coworker who never speaks up in meetings but eats your labeled lunch from the office fridge?

High blood pressure, or hypertension if you want to get technical, affects a staggering 1.28 billion people globally as of 2023. THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE!! And just like that sneaky coworker, it doesn't announce its presence with loud fanfare. Instead, it quietly works its insidious magic, contributing to heart disease, stroke, and other health complications.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

So, what causes such a delightful condition? First, let's talk about stress, that thing that's as inevitable as taxes. Chronic stress, apart from making your life miserable, has been linked to high blood pressure. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, there's a strong correlation between stress and hypertension. So, if you're perpetually stressed about your job, your bills, or why your cat looks at you with such disdain and judgment, you're literally worrying your way to high blood pressure.

Second, a round of applause for unhealthy nutrition! That's right, all those midnight ice-cream binges and fast-food lunches are doing more than just expanding your waistline. They're also setting the stage for hypertension. Consuming too much salt, for example, can cause high blood pressure, and the modern diet is just overflowing with it. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 70% of the sodium we consume doesn't even come from the salt shaker; it's hiding in processed foods and restaurant meals. Sneaky, isn't it?

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Now, the real fun begins. Because high blood pressure is as sly as a fox, it often doesn't present any symptoms. Hence its charming nickname, "the silent killer". However, in some cases, people with high blood pressure may experience headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds. But these symptoms usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage. So, it’s not kinda not the most reliable early warning system.

Evidence-Based Solutions

Just as there are myriad ways to invite high blood pressure into your life, there are also numerous evidence-based strategies to show it the door.

Nutrition: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is your new best friend. This diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. A meta-analysis of 34 trials showed that the DASH diet significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure. So, put down that bag of chips and reach for an apple instead. As a reminder, by diet, we’re not referring to a temporary, fast fix marketed by thieving fitness influencers or companies promising a disgusting amount of weight loss and in a horribly unrealistic amount of time. We’re referring to a nutritional lifestyle.

Proper Sleep: Your mom was right all along - you do need to get enough sleep. A study in the Journal of Sleep Research demonstrated that both short and long durations of sleep are associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. So, it's time to prioritize those Z's.

Stress Management: Since stress is a contributing factor to high blood pressure, managing stress is an important part of controlling it. Practices like mindfulness and meditation can help. Recent studies have shown that mindfulness-based stress reduction significantly reduced blood pressure.

Exercise: Yes, I'm going to tell you to exercise. The American Heart Association isn't playing games when they say you need at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of both) to maintain good health and prevent hypertension. And before you say "But I've got hypertension already!", a systematic review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine indicated that aerobic exercise can decrease blood pressure in individuals with hypertension, so don't underestimate the power of a good workout.

So, if you’re among the 1 billion who are dealing with high blood pressure, and even if you’re not, know that no matter your circumstances, all of these strategies will have a tremendous impact on your health and well-being. It just takes the first step, and you have to think lifestyle, not temporary fix.

GET A FREE CONSULTATION

If you need help taking that first step, whether for general health, weight loss or any fitness goal and want to achieve it the healthy way, book a free consultation with me right here. We’ll look at your lifestyle and see how we can bring long lasting changes, including nutritional habits, exercise, sleep health and mental wellness, so you can lead a healthy lifestyle in every aspect.

Sources

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41371-022-00764-z

2. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/sodium-sources

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3694268/

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32631027/

5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/sleep-deprivation/faq-20057959

6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206

7. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410

8. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension

9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7946733/

10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4543249/

11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4377837/

12. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16160

13. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/6/356.short

14. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/getting-active-to-control-high-blood-pressure