Health Bulletin, chapter II
Chapter II: Blood Pressure
Only in really emergent cases are we physically aware of our blood pressure. Nearly everyone with blood pressure feels perfectly healthy otherwise. Why do we care? Why is this number, of all random measurements of our body, so important to our health?
Answer: just like cholesterol (chapter I), high blood pressure (or hypertension) is an important risk factor for a number of major diseases. High blood pressure means our hearts have to work harder to pump blood, which can cause injury in the long term. Pressure can also cause physical damage to blood vessels in the brain, kidney, and rest of the body. To wit:
Stroke
Congestive heart failure
Kidney failure
Heart attacks
Other heart diseases
Blood vessel disease
Q: Normal blood pressure is 120/80. What do those numbers mean?
A: Those numbers are a measure of the pressure (in mm Hg) within our arteries, the vessels feed oxygen-rich blood to our body. The top number is the pressure when our heart is actively squeezing (no wonder it is higher). The bottom, smaller number is the pressure when our heart is reloading, and is a result of the elastic walls of the blood vessels squeezing the blood while the heart refills. Of the two numbers, the top number is the more important to look at. 120 is ideal; 120-139 means you should start lowering it, and >140 means you probably need some medication. A quick and dirty rule is that for every 20-point increase in blood pressure (top number), you double your chance of cardiovascular disease (disease of heart and blood vessels).
Q: How do I lower my blood pressure and/or keep it low:
A: The same as with cholesterol: diet and exercise!
First of all, lose weight. Losing 10kg corresponds to a 5-20 drop in blood pressure. That's a lot of pressure (it's also a lot of weight, but we're talking long-term benefits here).
Diet: minimize or reduce your sodium intake. Eat lots of grains, fruits and veggies, and lowfat dairy. Eat less meat, fats/oils, and sweets. Dietary modulation alone can account for a pressure drop of up to 10-22 points.
Exercise: 30 minutes of cardio a day can will lower your pressure by 2-8 points.
Smoking and alcohol also raise blood pressure, so ease off of the smokes and the booze.
Note that many of the lifestyle changes are compatible with those lowering cholesterol, which is a risk factor for some of the same diseases. Makes sense, since both are diseases of blood vessels. Bottom line: eat healthy and stay active to take care of your heart and blood vessels!
Next up, Chapter 3: Sore throat and the sniffles
Only in really emergent cases are we physically aware of our blood pressure. Nearly everyone with blood pressure feels perfectly healthy otherwise. Why do we care? Why is this number, of all random measurements of our body, so important to our health?
Answer: just like cholesterol (chapter I), high blood pressure (or hypertension) is an important risk factor for a number of major diseases. High blood pressure means our hearts have to work harder to pump blood, which can cause injury in the long term. Pressure can also cause physical damage to blood vessels in the brain, kidney, and rest of the body. To wit:
Stroke
Congestive heart failure
Kidney failure
Heart attacks
Other heart diseases
Blood vessel disease
Q: Normal blood pressure is 120/80. What do those numbers mean?
A: Those numbers are a measure of the pressure (in mm Hg) within our arteries, the vessels feed oxygen-rich blood to our body. The top number is the pressure when our heart is actively squeezing (no wonder it is higher). The bottom, smaller number is the pressure when our heart is reloading, and is a result of the elastic walls of the blood vessels squeezing the blood while the heart refills. Of the two numbers, the top number is the more important to look at. 120 is ideal; 120-139 means you should start lowering it, and >140 means you probably need some medication. A quick and dirty rule is that for every 20-point increase in blood pressure (top number), you double your chance of cardiovascular disease (disease of heart and blood vessels).
Q: How do I lower my blood pressure and/or keep it low:
A: The same as with cholesterol: diet and exercise!
First of all, lose weight. Losing 10kg corresponds to a 5-20 drop in blood pressure. That's a lot of pressure (it's also a lot of weight, but we're talking long-term benefits here).
Diet: minimize or reduce your sodium intake. Eat lots of grains, fruits and veggies, and lowfat dairy. Eat less meat, fats/oils, and sweets. Dietary modulation alone can account for a pressure drop of up to 10-22 points.
Exercise: 30 minutes of cardio a day can will lower your pressure by 2-8 points.
Smoking and alcohol also raise blood pressure, so ease off of the smokes and the booze.
Note that many of the lifestyle changes are compatible with those lowering cholesterol, which is a risk factor for some of the same diseases. Makes sense, since both are diseases of blood vessels. Bottom line: eat healthy and stay active to take care of your heart and blood vessels!
Next up, Chapter 3: Sore throat and the sniffles