Focus - Hypertension Archives

Hypertension: the silent killer

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a chronic medical condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a serious health concern that can cause several complications, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. Unfortunately, in South Africa, the prevalence of hypertension has been on the rise, especially in young people, making it a significant public health issue.

Hypertension affects everyone, regardless of age, race, or gender. However, some factors increase the risk of developing the condition, including being overweight, having a family history of hypertension, living an inactive lifestyle, consuming a high-sodium diet, and smoking. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and kidney disease, can also increase the risk of developing hypertension.

Precautions against hypertension include:

Maintaining a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese puts added pressure on your heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of developing hypertension. Maintain your ideal weight with regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Reducing sodium intake: Sodium, a mineral found in salt, can cause the body to retain fluid, increasing blood pressure.
Eating a balanced diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can help prevent high blood pressure and maintain overall good health.
Quitting smoking: Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of developing hypertension, among other health issues.

In addition to watching your lifestyle choices, treatment may also include medication such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and beta-blockers may be prescribed by a healthcare provider to control blood pressure.

Let us take a proactive approach to preventing and managing hypertension by encouraging and demonstrating overall wellbeing to the young people of tomorrow. Please reach out to a health counsellor, Dietician or Biokineticist at LifeAssist to answer questions and help build a sustainable eating and exercise plan that suits you or your family member.

zara2023-05-01T10:50:08+00:00

Love your heart

Your heart beats for you. This hard-working muscle at the centre of your circulation system, pumps blood around your body, distributing essential oxygen and nutrients, and disposes of unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products; all to keep you alive.

Under pressure

High blood pressure (HBP or hypertension), often caused by poor lifestyle choices or a genetic predisposition (e.g. if a family member has high blood pressure) can threaten your health and quality of life. In many cases, the damage done from high blood pressure occurs quietly over time. However, if left undetected or untreated, high blood pressure could or can:

damage arteries that can become blocked and prevent blood flow to the heart muscle causing a heart attack
cause blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to become blocked or burst causing a stroke
cause the heart to enlarge and struggle to supply blood to the body resulting in heart failure
damage the arteries around the kidneys and interferes with their ability to filter blood effectively causing kidney failure
strain or damages blood vessels in the eyes causing vision problems.
lead to sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction in men and lower libido in women
cause heart disease, angina, or chest pain.
narrow arteries in the legs, arms, stomach, and head, causing pain or fatigue.

Win your heart back!

The good news is that with the right knowledge and behavioural changes, you can win your heart back and continue living a happy and healthy life.

Know your numbers. It is best not to self-diagnose. Find out if you have high blood pressure by having your blood pressure checked by a medical professional. If you have a history of HBP, monitor it regularly.
Work in partnership with your health professional/s and follow their advice and your medication if prescribed.
Make heart-healthy lifestyle choices to keep your heart pumping happily. This includes regular exercise, stopping destructive habits such as smoking or excessive drinking, getting enough sleep, cutting back on salt, refined carbohydrates, sugars and processed foods, reducing your stress levels, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Contact LifeAssist for professional health advice and counselling to help you to deal with all matters of the heart.

zara2022-05-03T09:58:51+00:00

Five Simple Foods for a Healthy Heart

Eating a balanced diet with plenty of nutritious fresh foods helps to lower your risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Your heart will thank you for making smart choices.

Here are five heart-healthy foods that are easy to include as part of your daily diet.

Oatmeal

Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and you’ll feel full for hours. This warm and tasty porridge is also good for your heart. It’s high in soluble fibre so it helps to control cholesterol levels, and prevent spikes in blood sugar levels.

For a nutritional boost, you can add oats to your favourite baked goods like pancakes and muffins, or use ground oats as a replacement for ordinary flour.

Leafy Greens

Include spinach, kale and other leafy greens in your diet regularly. Leafy green vegetables are packed with vitamin K, which helps to protect the health of your arteries and also promotes proper blood clotting which is good for you. These veggies also include nutrients that help to lower blood pressure.

Beans

Beans are full of fibre, protein and magnesium. That means they can help to control your cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. Beans are affordable, easy to cook and can be added to soups, stews, salads and more. Other heart-healthy foods similar to beans include lentils, peas and chickpeas.

Oily Fish

Fish like sardines and tuna contain nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids, which help to keep your heart, arteries and brain healthy. Try to eat fish two or three times a week, or take a fish oil vitamin supplement to make sure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids.

Dark Chocolate

Great news for those with a sweet tooth – a little bit of dark chocolate can also be good for your heart. This bitter-sweet treat contains antioxidants and magnesium, which are both known as heart-healthy nutrients.

Make sure you choose good quality dark chocolate that contains less sugar and more cocoa (at least 70%) and enjoy it in moderation.

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zara2021-09-11T07:52:15+00:00

The Importance of Salt Intake

The salt in the food you eat helps your body to work properly and stay healthy because it contains important minerals like sodium. It’s important to make sure you get enough salt in your daily diet, but on the other hand, too much salt can cause high blood pressure, therefore balance in the amount of salt you eat, is very important.

Why does your body need salt?

Healthy nerves & muscles
Healthy thyroid gland
Hydration and fluid balance
Prevents muscle cramps
Prevents low blood pressure

How much salt do you need?

Healthcare professionals say you should include about two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt in your daily diet – that’s just 1.5g (1500mg) a day. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables as well as avoiding processed foods or instant meals will help you to keep your salt intake under control.

zara2021-03-08T15:41:57+00:00

Health is wealth

Good health is our greatest source of wealth. Without it, we would not have the energy, strength and confidence to succeed, to love and to enjoy life. Without it, we don’t really have anything.

Dear Heart

At the core of our being, our hearts beat every second, 24 hours a day, never resting, to keep us alive and well. World Heart Day on 29 September reminds us to take special care of this incredible hard-working organ that pumps life-giving blood containing oxygen and nutrients throughout our bodies.

How healthy are we? The grim facts

Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, claiming approximately one million lives globally each year.
Approximately 225 people die of heart attacks or strokes in South Africa every day.
Not only do the elderly suffer; in fact, half of the people who die from heart attacks in this country are below 65 years.

The good news

Although the statistics are staggering, the good news is that 80% of heart diseases and strokes can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes.

Losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight
Eating healthy foods and beverages
Staying active
Managing blood pressure
Reducing blood sugar levels
Quitting smoking
Controlling cholesterol

Even small changes can make a huge difference to your health, such as:

Reducing salt, sugar and processed fat intake,
Increasing fruit and vegetables in your diet,
Sleeping 7-8 hours a day
Taking regular walks.

Know your numbers

Keep a check on your health by having your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar tested at least once a year. Your doctor may recommend medication to keep your levels healthy.

Living a healthy lifestyle can help prevent chronic and debilitating illnesses and conditions. Make a decision to feel good and take care of your health. For more information and support, contact the LifeAssist National Contact Centre.

zara2021-04-07T09:28:58+00:00

Salt and Your Health

We all love a dash of salt on our favourite dishes to really bring out the flavour, but it’s important to be aware of the effects of salt on our health. Salt has gained a bit of a negative reputation in recent years, and it’s important to know all the facts about salt and your health, in order to make smarter dietary choices.

Salt and Sodium: The Pros and Cons

The scientific name for salt is sodium chloride, because it is made up of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Sodium is an important nutrient, which the body needs for the following functions:

Helping the muscles to contract and relax;
Sending nerve impulses throughout the body;
Regulating fluid and mineral balance.

We need a small amount of sodium to support these vital functions; around 500mg daily is enough. However, because of the high levels of salt that’s being added to so many processed and pre-packaged foods today, our modern-day diet typically includes far more sodium than we actually need!

Too much sodium is bad news for your health. Excessive consumption of sodium has been linked to high blood pressure, as well as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Too much sodium can also deplete your body’s calcium levels, which impacts the health of your bones.

Did You Know? Just one teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300mg of sodium. Health professionals advise that we keep our sodium intake to less than 2,300mg a day.

Reducing Salt in Your Diet

Always read the food labels to check the sodium content of the foods you’re buying.
Compare different brands to see which has the lowest sodium content.
Look for products that say “no salt added” on the packaging.
Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
Use more herbs and spices as seasonings in your cooking, instead of salt.
Drain and rinse your canned foods before cooking them.
Add more potassium-rich foods (e.g. bananas, sweet potato and kidney beans) to your diet. Potassium is beneficial for blood pressure, and can help to counter the effects of sodium.

A little salt is good for your body (and a treat for your taste buds), but it’s important to make smart everyday dietary choices to make sure you’re not consuming too much.

Sources:

How Much Sodium Do You Need? Retrieved from: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/281629/how-much-sodium-do-you-need/

How much sodium is too much for a day? Retrieved from: https://www.nola.com/gambit/lifestyle/article_d42b4e3d-2cc4-5a8e-9762-df4bbbb41c1b.html

Top 10 Tips for Reducing salt in Your Diet. Retrieved from: https://www.kidney.org/newsletter/top-10-tips-reducing-salt-your-diet

How to Reduce Sodium. Retrieved from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-to-reduce-sodium

zara2021-03-18T07:42:21+00:00

Caring Families

Your diet can help you to lower high blood pressure and keep it in check. The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) eating plan is a healthy way to manage your family’s blood pressure levels. The diet includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

Take the pressure off your heart, and enjoy a healthier lifestyle by following DASH, and knowing your daily servings and sizes. Click here for the guidelines.

zara2021-04-14T08:42:15+00:00

Lower your Blood Pressure with Exercise

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Regular exercise is an effective way to prevent (and reduce) high blood pressure. What type of exercise should you be doing, and how often should you do it, to really get the benefits for your blood pressure levels?

Top Exercise Tips for Beating High Blood Pressure

If you already have high blood pressure, get the go-ahead from your GP before starting a new fitness programme.
Don’t overdo it – be patient with yourself and ease into your routine. You can increase your exercise over time as you get fitter.
Cardio exercises (also called aerobic exercises) are best for helping to lower blood pressure.
Jogging, swimming, squash, tennis, netball or basketball are all good examples of aerobic exercise.
No time to get to the gym today? Household chores like mopping or vacuuming can also give you a good cardio workout.
It’s recommended that you do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week (around 30 minutes most days).
Maintain a moderate intensity during your exercise, for the best benefits.
Weight training exercises can also help to control blood pressure.
Try to space out your exercise during the week, rather than trying to squeeze all your activity into the weekend. You need continual regular exercise to beat high blood pressure.

Watch Out for Warning Signs

Don’t be alarmed if your blood pressure increases during exercise. This is a normal change that happens as your heart is pumping harder and faster. It’s temporary, and will drop again once your heart rate returns to normal.

However, it’s important to listen to your body and make sure you’re not doing more harm than good – especially if your blood pressure is already on the high side. If you notice any of these warning signs, stop exercising and seek medical attention;

Chest pain or tightness
Dizziness or faintness
Pain in an arm or your jaw
Severe shortness of breath
Irregular heartbeat

After one to three months for regular aerobic exercise, you should see a healthy difference in your blood pressure levels. But remember, the benefits will only last if you continue to be active and follow a good exercise routine.

Sources

4 Exercise Tips to Lower Blood Pressure. Retrieved from: https://www.healthxchange.sg/high-blood-pressure/living-well-high-blood-pressure/exercise-right-lower-high-blood-pressure

zara2021-04-01T06:14:36+00:00

Tips for Controlling your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can have a serious impact on your health. How can you tell if your blood pressure is too high, and what can you do to lower it?

What is Blood Pressure?

As your blood is pumped around your body by your heart, it pushes against the sides of your blood vessels. This pushing is called blood pressure. If the blood pressure in your body rises too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels and your heart. This increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Your local clinic or family GP can do a blood pressure reading for you, which will determine whether you are at risk or not.

Blood Pressure by the Numbers

A blood pressure reading has two numbers, shown one on top of the other.

The first number on top represents the highest level that your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats. This is called your systolic blood pressure.

The second number below represents the lowest level that your blood pressure reaches, when your heart is relaxed between beats. This is called your diastolic blood pressure.

Blood pressure is measured in mmHg, which stands for “millimetres of mercury”.

Ideally, your blood pressure readings should be 120/80 (mmHg).

A reading of 140/90 indicates low risk;
140 to 150/90 to 99 indicates medium risk; and
160/100 indicates high risk.

If your reading is high, there are a few lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your blood pressure.

How to Control your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure does run in some families, but there are many lifestyle factors that affect it as well. Here are some healthy habits to help keep your blood pressure in check.

Regular exercise: Around 30 minutes of exercise a day can lower high blood pressure by 5 to 8 mmHg

Smart diet: The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an eating plan geared towards reducing high blood pressure. It includes a lot of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and cuts out saturated fat and cholesterol. These eating habits can lower high blood pressure by up to 11 mmHg.

Reduce sodium: Too much sodium (salt) in your diet can raise your blood pressure, and even a small reduction can make a big difference – up to 5 or 6 mmHg, in fact.

Get the right nutrients: Potassium is a mineral that helps to regulate the amount of sodium in your cells. Vitamin D helps your kidneys to produce an important enzyme that affects your blood pressure. Make sure your diet includes some good sources of potassium and vitamin D, or consider taking a supplement.

Avoid cigarettes & alcohol: Each cigarette you smoke elevates your blood pressure, leaving it high long after your smoke break is done. Too much alcohol can also raise your blood pressure, and reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medication. To best look after your health, quit smoking entirely and enjoy alcohol in moderation only – the occasional glass of red wine can be good for your heart.

De-stress: High-stress situations increase your blood pressure, and chronic stress can lead to chronically high blood pressure. Make sure you give yourself time to relax and let go of daily stressors.

Sources

Blood Pressure: What is blood pressure? Retrieved from http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressure

10 Ways to Control High Blood Pressure without Medication: Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974

zara2021-03-16T07:36:20+00:00

Hypertension FAQs

These are the most frequently asked questions about hypertension.

Question: What is hypertension?

Answer: Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure, which is measured by the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. Hypertension causes the heart to work too much, hardening the walls of the arteries. It heightens the risk of heart failure, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.

Question: What is blood pressure?

Answer: Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood pumped by an individual’s heart as well as the amount of resistance to blood which flows in the arteries. The more blood pumped from the heart and the narrower the arteries, the higher is the blood pressure.

Question: How is blood pressure measured?

Answer: Blood pressure readings are given as two numbers, the top number (systolic blood pressure – this corresponds to the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood forward into the arteries) and the bottom number (diastolic blood pressure – this represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction reflecting the lowest pressure to which the arteries are exposed). Normal blood pressure is when a person’s blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg; high blood pressure is when it is 140/90 mmHg or above. When it is 120/80 or higher but below 140/90 it is called pre-hypertension which is indicative of a hypertension prone individual.

Question: Why is hypertension known as “the silent killer”?

Answer: Hypertension develops over many years and it affects nearly everyone eventually. It occurs without any symptoms and has been labeled “the silent killer” due to its progression to eventually develop one or more of the several potentially fatal complications such as heart attacks or strokes.

Question: Who is susceptible to hypertension?

Answer: Everyone is vulnerable to hypertension and more than one out of four adults (and one out of two people over the age of 60) have high blood pressure. A person can have hypertension for many years without displaying any symptoms but it is easily detectable and, once the condition is identified, it can be managed and controlled.

Question: Which factors contribute to hypertension?

Answer: What causes hypertension is largely unknown but factors contributing to the condition are smoking, obesity, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, sodium sensitivity, insufficient calcium, potassium and magnesium consumption, vitamin D deficiency, high levels of alcohol consumption, stress, aging, medicines, genetics, chronic kidney disease, and adrenal and thyroid problems.

Question: What is the difference between essential, secondary and malignant hypertension?

Answer: When no cause to a person’s hypertension is found, it is called essential hypertension and when hypertension is caused by another medical condition or medication it is called secondary hypertension. Malignant hypertension is when a dangerous form of high blood pressure develops, causing severe headache, nausea or vomiting, confusion, changes in vision or nosebleeds. Malignant hypertension is a medical emergency which requires immediate treatment to prevent a stroke.

Question: What is the purpose of treating hypertension?

Answer: Treatment is aimed at lowering the risk of complications. Lowering blood pressure cuts the risk of heart failure, dementia and kidney disease. Lifestyle modification is a major part of prevention and treatment of hypertension and is the recommended treatment for pre-hypertension. Following a healthy eating pattern, maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in physical activity, limiting alcohol intake and quitting smoking are recommended lifestyle changes.

Question: What are the risks of diabetes and cholesterol combined with hypertension?

Answer: Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease if hypertension is also present. Cholesterol is an important factor in determining the danger of high blood pressure as high cholesterol increases the sensitivity of the arteries to high blood pressure and makes them more prone to damage.

Question: Which preventative measures can be taken?

Answer: It is important that all adults near or past middle age should “know their numbers”. These are your height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Regular blood pressure tests are essential if there is a family tendency towards hypertension. By treating hypertension with lifestyle changes and medication, complications can be avoided and average life expectancy will remain almost normal whereas it will be reduced dramatically if the situation is not controlled and managed.

Sources
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk

zara2021-04-01T11:13:53+00:00

Focus – Hypertension