Maintain a Healthy Weight

Overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. In fact, blood pressure rises as body weight increases. Losing even 10 pounds can lower blood pressure--and it has the biggest effect in those who are overweight and already have hypertension.
Overweight also is a risk factor for heart disease. And it increases your chance of developing high blood cholesterol and diabetes--two more risk factors for heart disease.

Two key measures are used to determine if someone is overweight. These are the body mass index, or BMI, and waist circumference.

BMI relates weight to height. It gives an approximation of total body fat--and that´s what increases the risk of obesity-related diseases.

Being physically active is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent or control high blood pressure. It also helps to reduce your risk of heart disease.
It doesn´t take a lot of effort to become physically active. All you need to do is 30 minutes of moderate-level activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week. Examples of moderate-level activity are brisk walking, bicycling, raking leaves, and gardening. For more examples, see Box 7.

You can even divide the 30 minutes into shorter periods of at least 10 minutes each. For instance: Use stairs instead of an elevator; get off a bus one or two stops early; or park your car at the far end of the lot at work. If you already engage in 30 minutes a day, you can get added benefits by doing more. Do a moderate-level activity for a longer period each day or engage in a more vigorous activity.

Most people don´t need to see a doctor before they start a moderate-level physical activity. You should check first with a doctor if you have heart trouble or have had a heart attack, if you are over age 50 and are not used to doing a moderate-level activity, if you have a family history of heart disease at an early age, or if you have any other serious health problem.

Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure. It also can harm the liver, brain, and heart. Furthermore, alcoholic drinks contain calories, which matter if you are trying to lose weight.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, have only a moderate amount--one drink a day for women; two drinks a day for men.

What counts as a drink?

12 ounces of beer (regular or light, 150 calories),
5 ounces of wine (100 calories), or
1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof whiskey (100 calories)

Take High Blood Pressure Medication As Directed
If you have high blood pressure, the lifestyle habits noted above may not lower your blood pressure enough. If they don´t, you will need to take medication.
However, even if you do need medication, you still must follow the lifestyle changes. Doing so will help your medication work better and may reduce how much of it you need.

There are many drugs available to lower high blood pressure. They work in various ways. Often, two or more drugs work better than one.

Here´s a rundown on the main types of drugs and how they work:

Diuretics--These are sometimes called "water pills" because they work in the kidney and flush excess water and sodium from the body through urine. This reduces the amount of fluid in the blood. And, since sodium is flushed out of blood vessel walls, the vessels open wider. Pressure goes down. There are different types of diuretics. They are often used with other high blood pressure drugs.

Beta-blockers--These reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat less often and with less force. Blood pressure drops and the heart works less hard.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors--These prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes vessels to narrow. The blood vessels relax and pressure goes down.

Angiotensin antagonists--These are a new type of high blood pressure drug. They shield blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, the vessels are wider and pressure lowers.

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)--These keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. Blood vessels relax and pressure goes down.

One short-acting type of CCB has been found to increase the chance of having another heart attack. Short-acting CCBs are taken several times a day. If you are on such a drug, you should talk with your doctor about other medication choices. The finding does not apply to the longer-acting types of CCB, which are taken once a day.

Alpha blockers--These reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels, which allows blood to pass more easily.

Results from a clinical study indicate that an alpha blocker may not be the best choice for an initial treatment for high blood pressure. If you now take an alpha blocker drug for high blood pressure, consult with your doctor about whether or not your treatment should be modified.

Alpha-beta blockers--These work the same way as alpha blockers but also slow the heartbeat, as beta-blockers do. As a result, less blood is pumped through the vessels.

Nervous system inhibitors--These relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses.

Vasodilators--These directly open blood vessels by relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls.

When you start on a medication, work with your doctor to get the right drug and dose level for you. If you have side effects, tell your doctor so the medication can be adjusted. If you´re worried about cost, tell your doctor or pharmacist--there may be a less expensive drug or a generic form that can be used instead.

It´s important that you take the medication as prescribed, including in the right amount. That can prevent a heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood for the body´s needs.

But you can be taking medication and still not have your blood pressure under control. Everyone--and older Americans in particular--must be careful to control their blood pressure to below 140/90 mm Hg. If your blood pressure is higher than that, talk with your doctor about adjusting your medication or making any needed lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down.

 

back