Understand high blood pressure: explore causes like age and diet, and learn crucial prevention tips, including healthy eating and exercise, based on a Berman Center study.
There are many reasons for high blood pressure, including the automatic increase that occurs with age. We will discuss the most important ways to prevent high blood pressure:
Causes of High Blood Pressure
The New York Times published the results of a study conducted by the Berman Women’s Health Center, where they followed 1,298 people from the residents of the Berman Center in Massachusetts since 1976. Those who were between 55-65 years old at the beginning of the follow-up:
That the average American diet among those aged 55 and over, has an estimated 90% probability of developing high blood pressure, which is considered a significant risk factor for developing all of the following:
- Developing heart problems.
- Heart failure.
- Stroke.
- Problems in blood circulation.
- Kidney disease.
- Getting older.
It was also found that high blood pressure is the cause of more than 10% of deaths annually, as 27% of people who suffer from high blood pressure do not receive appropriate treatment, while 15% do not receive treatment at all, and a third of patients do not even know that they have high blood pressure.
For about 30 years, the widely accepted idea among doctors and the public, is that it does not remain a big concern in this matter, and in most cases, high blood pressure is a symptom and does not cause any symptoms, and the only way to know about its presence is measuring blood pressure, so it is necessary to perform this measurement at every visit to the doctor, regardless of the reason for the visit, as this test is quick, specific, and does not cause pain.
The values that have been obtained on blood pressure in the two arms are considered the most accurate: the systolic pressure/ the higher value, and the diastolic pressure/ the lower value, and it is good between the two values. Normal blood pressure is 80/120, or less.
In societies where people maintain their healthy weight and practice daily exercise throughout their lives, high blood pressure does not usually increase with age. However, the matter differs in developed countries, where high blood pressure increases dramatically with age, and in people who gain weight, where weight gain increases the risk and incidence of disease in the arteries.
The condition of elevated blood pressure can be diagnosed when the systolic pressure is 140 or more, and the diastolic pressure is 90 or more, or both together, differently from what was previously generally known, because for systolic pressure it is important in determining the risk of developing heart diseases and blood vessels.
Ways to Prevent High Blood Pressure
Prevention of high blood pressure is done by following all of the following:
- Following a healthy diet, that includes vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy products, while reducing the consumption of saturated fats, and avoiding trans fats, and consuming red meats, processed meats, and sugary drinks to a minimum.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Practicing daily exercise.
If all of these tips are not sufficient to achieve the goal, then there is a diverse collection of safe and effective medications to reduce high blood pressure and prevent its possible complications.
