Ways to lower high blood pressure

Hypertension is a disease that is must be prevented and scientists have discovered many simple things people can do so as not to have hypertension, reports Sade Oguntola.

Many people think high blood pressure (hypertension) is a “stress disease” — the result of overwork, no exercise, too many cocktail lunches, smoking, eating an unhealthy diet and other common but shortsighted behaviours. The truth is, except in a few rare cases, doctors do not know what causes high blood pressure.

Modern medical science has gone to great lengths to find ways to lower high blood pressure. Doctors’ attempt to lower high blood pressure in their patients because it can have serious long-term consequences such as heart attack or stroke and subsequently kidney damage, sometime in the future.

With all of the concern with blood pressure, it is no wonder that so many people are trying to find ways to solve their medical problems instead of using modern medicine that many consider difficult to comply with or cannot tolerate because of its side effects.

Like with every disease, no matter your age or physical condition, the following tips will help lower your blood pressure if it is high and keep it from rising.

1. Every morning, take a brisk 15-minute walk.
Exercises such as a 15-minute walk can make a lot of difference to the blood pressure. When Japanese researchers asked 168 inactive volunteers with high blood pressure to exercise at a health club for different amounts of time each week for eight weeks, blood pressure dropped almost as much in those who exercised 30 to 90 minutes a week as in those who exercised more than 90 minutes a week. You do not have to spend hours in the gymnasium to reap the healthy benefits of exercise. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or even vacuuming briskly can increase the blood flow from your heart and through blood vessels.

2. Are you overweight? Lose weight.
Maintaining a healthy weight will help prevent high blood pressure. Many studies have shown body weight to be associated with blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension. A study that evaluated the degree of overweight and hypertension among 1795 adult men and women with hypertension who were referred to a community-based hypertension clinic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during a five-year period also showed the link.

3.Drink tea rather than coffee
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that temporarily raises the heart rate, and in the very short term, your blood pressure too. So, substitute coffee for tea. An Australian study found that every one-cup increase in daily tea consumption decreased systolic blood pressure two points and diastolic pressure one point. The benefits ended after four cups, however. It is a good idea to reduce how much of coffee you take so as not to put too much pressure on your heart.

4. Say no to smoking, excessive drinking
A reduction in smoking can help lower blood pressure. Nicotine, one of thousands of chemicals found in cigarettes, causes the blood vessels to constrict. This narrowing of the vessels increases blood pressure. Smoking also takes a heavy toll on the heart. While drinking in moderation does not seem to have much of an impact on your heart, having more than three drinks a day may contribute to high blood pressure. Alcohol has been shown to raise blood pressure by interfering with the flow of blood to and from the heart. When alcohol courses through your bloodstream, it pushes blood rich in nutrients away from your heart. Limiting alcohol to two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women can reduce blood pressure by between 2.5 and 4 mm Hg

5. Cultivate calm mood
A study at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that patients could drop their blood pressure by as much as 10 points by simply thinking about it. Patients with high and normal blood pressure were taught basic relaxation techniques and biofeedback.

6.Meditate
Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia found that people who studied Transcendental Meditation had a 6.5 per cent decrease in vasoconstriction when meditating. People who did not meditate, on the other hand, showed a 1.6 per cent increase in vasoconstriction during a non-meditative relaxation session. Additionally, those who meditated on a regular basis had remarkably low blood pressure to begin with.

Simply sit in a calm place, close your eyes and breathe, say researchers. When thoughts pop into your head, notice them, but do not react, and gently focus on your breathing. It is that simple.

7.Sleep well
Tossing and turning at night may be raising your blood pressure. A study at Broussais Hospital in Paris found that poor sleep leads to hypertension after about 7,900 workers in Paris. They found that those who had nightmares, tossed and turned, snored or woke frequently during the night had higher blood pressure than those who slept uninterruptedly.

Similarly, researchers at Columbia University found that people that have five hours or less of sleep at night are more likely to develop hypertension. Based on this study that tracked about 4,800 people for 10 years, they found that almost a quarter of the people who slept less than five hours developed hypertension, while only 12 per cent of those that slept for seven or eight hours had elevated blood pressure.

8. Eat dark chocolate
Studies attest to the blood-pressure benefits of products made with cocoa, which contains antioxidants that activate a substance called nitric oxide that relaxes blood vessels. In a small study that followed 470 elderly men (they were on average 72.7years old), those that ate more than 2.3 grammes of cocoa a day had lower blood pressure than those that did not. Researchers believe it is the flavanol component of cocoa that provides this beneficial effect.

9. Eat more bananas
Bananas are high in potassium and so good for reducing high blood pressure. Other fruits and vegetables high in potassium and magnesium found to be good for blood pressure include lettuce, oranges, beans, spinach, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, peanuts, soymilk and whole grain cereal. They are rich in fibre that is beneficial too. Analysis of data from 25 clinical trials and all the data pointed to one strong conclusion that eating between about seven grammes to 19 grammes of fiber a day led to a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

10. Eat less salt and sodium.
A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that low-sodium diet could decrease blood pressure as effectively as some medications. The study tracked 35 healthy postmenopausal women with systolic blood pressure (the higher number in a reading) from 130 to 159 and found that the systolic blood pressure dropped by five points among women who exercised, and 16 points among the women who ate little salt.

11. Adopt DASH eating habit.
Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet include foods with a low salt content and rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium. In a recent trial, patients showed significantly reduced systolic and diastolic readings after eight weeks on this diet. In the group with more marked hypertension, the reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 11.4 and 5.5 mmHg respectively.

12. Reduce intake of energy drinks
Energy drinks may boost blood pressure as well as energy, researchers said in a small study conducted by Wayne State University researchers. They found that blood pressure and heart rate levels increased in healthy adults who drank two cans a day of a popular energy drink.

The increases in blood pressure and heart rate could prove to be very important in patients with heart disease or in those who consume energy drinks often. They said people with high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid energy drinks because they could affect their blood pressure and may even alter the effectiveness of their medications.