What is hypertension?

Hypertension, another name for high blood pressure, is often called a “silent killer.” This is because you can have hypertension without even knowing it, as it often presents with no symptoms. Whenblood pressure很长一段时间以来一直无法控制，它会大大增加患心脏病发作，中风和其他威胁生命状况的风险。

一个normal blood pressure reading is defined as falling below 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). If you have高血压，您的医生可能会规定治疗选择，包括：

  • 生活方式改变
  • medications
  • supplements

High blood pressure can have a variety of causes, including:

Your risk also increases with age. As you get older, your artery walls lose their elasticity.

If you have high blood pressure from unknown causes, it’s calledessential or primary hypertension。如果您的高血压是由医疗疾病引起的，例如kidney disease。

您的医生可能会鼓励您改变饮食习惯，以帮助降低血压。这 美国心脏协会（AHA） endorses theDASH diet, which stands for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension.”

这DASH diet is rich in:

它也很低：

You should also reduce yourcaffeineand alcohol intake.

Why do I need to eat less sodium?

钠causes your body to retain fluids. This increases the volume of your blood and the pressure in your blood vessels. It’s believed that reducing your sodium intake can lower your blood pressure by2 - 8毫米汞柱in certain people.

Most healthy people should limit their sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams (mg) or less per day. If you have high blood pressure,糖尿病, orchronic kidney disease，您每天应该吃不超过1,500毫克的钠。如果您是非裔美国人或50多年的历史，则还应将钠摄入量限制为每天1,500毫克。

Check out these low-sodium foods to get started.

Why should I eat more potassium?

钾is an important mineral for good health. It also helps lessen the effects of sodium in your body. Eating enough potassium can help control your blood pressure.

这average adult should consume about 4,700 mg 每天钾。Foods that are rich in potassium包括：

一个sk your doctor about how much potassium you need. It’s important to get enough potassium in your diet. Buteating too muchof it may also be harmful, especially if you have certain medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease.

On top of eating a均衡饮食, it’s essential to get定期运动。In arecent study研究人员报告说，低到中度的运动训练可以帮助降低高血压。

How much exercise do you need? Most healthy adults should get at least 150 minutes 每周中等强度的运动。如果您的血压高，请尝试每周至少进行40分钟的中度至剧烈强度练习。

Gaining weight increases your risk of hypertension. For overweight people, losing weight has been shown to decrease blood pressure up to 10 mm Hg. People are considered overweight if theirbody mass index (BMI)is greater than 25.

即使是逐渐减肥也可以使您的血压水平受益，减少或预防高血压。这 一个HA says that a 5-10 pound loss can provide health benefits. Consult your doctor on the healthiest way tolose weightfor you.

一个lcohol intakehas a direct relationship with blood pressure. Encouraging moderate alcohol intake is important. While a glass of红酒may offer some health benefits, moderation isn’t just for hard liquor. Regular and heavy intake of any alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically.

这 一个HA recommends limiting alcohol intake to two drinks a day for men and one a day for women. One drink equals:

  • 12 oz. of beer
  • 5 oz. of wine
  • 1 1/2 oz. of hard liquor

Smoking可能导致甚至引起大量心血管疾病。您抽烟的每种香烟都会暂时升高您的血压。尽管研究尚未证明吸烟对血压具有长期影响，但吸烟与直接高血压之间存在直接联系。

It’s also thought that smoking could have a detrimental effect on central blood pressure, which can result in organ damage. Smoking also leads toinflammation, which plays a role in the long-term damage to blood vessels.

如果你想stop smoking, ask your doctor forproduct recommendationsabout nicotine gums or patches, and about support groups that focus on quitting smoking.

Vitamin C

一个ccording to scientists from约翰·霍普金斯大学医学院, high doses ofvitamin C— an average of 500 mg per day — may produce small reductions of blood pressure. Vitamin C may act as adiuretic从你的身体,去除多余的液体。This may help lower the pressure within your blood vessels.

Vitamin D

Vitamin Dis also essential to your overall health. According to areview article from 2013,vitamin D deficiencymay raise your risk of hypertension. It’s possible that taking vitamin D supplements might help lower your blood pressure by interacting with a variety of systems in the body. You can also find vitamin D inthese foods。

Reducing your overall stresscan directly impact hypertension. High levels of stress sustained over long periods of time can havenegative effectson your hypertension and overall health.

针刺在传统中医中已有数百年的历史来治疗许多疾病。它也用于缓解压力和促进放松。研究表明，这可能有助于改善某些疾病，包括高血压。一个 study published in 2013 suggests that acupuncture may help lower blood pressure when used in combination withantihypertensive medications。

冥想is also thought to help relieve stress oranxiety，即使您每天只能冥想几次。深呼吸练习，无论是与冥想结合还是单独使用，也可以有效，因为它们会降低心率并强行降低血压。

如果你的re unable to cut out stress from your life, consulting atherapistcan be helpful. They can offer stress management techniques that can prevent the stress from impacting your health.

健康的血压水平对于降低心脏病的机会很重要。

定期检查你的血压。如果你的re diagnosed with hypertension, follow your doctor’s recommendations to lower your blood pressure. They may prescribe treatment strategies such as medications, supplements, and changes to your饮食or exercise routine.

一个lways talk to your doctor before changing your treatment plan and never stop medications without consulting them first. They can help you understand the potential benefits and risks of treatment options.