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Do you or any of your loved ones suffer from hypertension? Then you know the struggle to keep the blood pressure in check. It is imperative since high pressure can lead to serious consequences, like heart failure or stroke. Our lifestyle is a significant contributor to it, and often, we rely more on medications to control our blood pressure without making necessary changes to our daily lives.
Worldwide, all hypertension management guidelines start with recommendations for lifestyle modification. This is crucial to reducing the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Such changes should encompass diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, and healthy habit formation, such as cessation of smoking and alcohol.
There are plenty of guidelines about choosing a diet for hypertension. According to the Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP), it should include plenty of fruits, nuts, vegetables, fish, soluble fibre, plant proteins, and whole grains. Red meat and saturated fat need to be minimized. Dietary salt and sugar should be cut back.
An article published in Cardiovascular Research in June 2022 suggests that coffee and tea, if unsweetened, can be beneficial. The 2013 European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension suggested that three cups per day is a safe limit and positively affects cardiovascular health.
Weight management is important, especially for people with excess weight. Apart from a healthy diet, regular exercise (walking, cycling, swimming, etc.) is necessary to combat weight issues. Losing a little weight (4-5 kg) will decrease blood pressure, as explained in the Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines.
There are some limitations to exercise for hypertensive patients. For one, strenuous exercise is not advised. Aerobic workouts are best if coupled with mild resistance and stretching exercises. The goal is 30 minutes daily, as included in almost all the guidelines. However, this does not need to be continuous. We can do chunks of 5-10 minutes throughout the day for a total of 30 minutes.
Sleep quality is crucial for hypertension management. Lack of proper sleep triggers high blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic recommends at least six hours of sound sleep for adults. This can be achieved by practising sleep hygiene. These practices include establishing a sleep routine, avoiding daytime naps, no hard exercise, no tea/coffee before bed, and definitely no screen time.
Stress is part and parcel of modern life. We must live with it, so we must learn to reduce the risk of spiking our blood pressure. Daily relaxation techniques like breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation are instrumental. Lowering stress will go a long way toward improving our mental and physical health.
Hypertension is a lifelong disease. Even if a diagnosed hypertensive patient's blood pressure is within the normal range, it does not mean they are cured. This disease needs to be constantly managed. For that, we should start focusing on three important things: a healthy and balanced diet, daily exercise, and weight reduction.