The Health Blog

One of the approach to treatment of essential hypertension is lifestyle change. Here are the easy ways on changing your lifestyle:

1. Stop smoking. It has been emphasized in various health articles that smoking can cause hypertension. About 30% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That’s because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease especially in younger people.

How Does Smoking Increase Heart Disease Risk?

The nicotine present in smoke causes:

* Decreased oxygen to the heart.
* Increased blood pressure and heart rate.
* Increase in blood clotting.
* Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels.

2. Lose weight if overweight. Maintain body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. For every 10 kilogram weight loss, BP drops by approximately 5-20 mmHg.

3. Reduce sodium intake (<2 g of sodium or approximately <6 g of sodium chloride).

4. Start a healthy diet. Consume diet rich in vegetables, fruits and low fat dairy products. Reduce dietary saturated fat and cholesterol intake for overall cardiovascular health. Reducing fat intake also helps reduce calorie intake, whic is important for control of weight in type II diabetes.

5. Engage in regular aerobic exercise once BP is controlled. At least 30 minutes per day, most days of the week. Brisk walking is a good exercise.

6. Limit alcohol intake to less than 1 oz/day of ethanol (24 oz of beer, 8 oz of wine, or 2 oz of 80-proof whiskey).

7. Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.