Blackberry Clinic partners with Bupa Health to offer Health Assessments in 10 of our 12 Blackberry Clinics. Our Health Advisors have a keen interest in health and well being and Sophie King from Blackberry Clinic Guildford offers some advice here about how to maintain a healthy blood pressure.
What is a healthy blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the measure of force that your heart uses to pump blood around the body.
Blood pressure is usually measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is recorded as two numbers, systolic blood pressure (the first number) indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery wall when the heart beats.The diastolic blood pressure (the second number) expresses how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.
A normal blood pressure range is between 90-120 mmHg (systolic number) and less than 80 mmHg (diastolic number). Elevated blood pressure levels range from 120-129 mmHg (systolic) and less than 80 mmHg (diastolic number). High blood pressure (stage 1) is classed as 130-139 (systolic) and 80-89 (diastolic number). High blood pressure (stage 2) is 140/90 mmHg or higher.
Why is it important to have a healthy blood pressure?
High blood pressure (otherwise known as hypertension) is the leading risk factor of death, attributed to 11 million deaths worldwide. Reducing blood pressure by 10mmHg in systolic blood pressure can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 17%, heart failure by 28% and strokes by 27%. More than 1 in 4 adults in England have high blood pressure, with every 10 people diagnosed there are another 7 undiagnosed. High blood pressure is a silent killer, but there are certain factors which can increase the risk. These include being overweight, smoking, a diet high in saturated fats, a low intake of fruit and vegetables, a high salt intake, a lack of physical activity and a high consumption of alcohol.
How can I lower my blood pressure?
Reduce salt intake
There is strong evidence that blood pressure decreases when we reduce the amount of salt we consume. Current UK intakes of salt average at 8.1grams per day, with the UK recommended guidelines being 6g/day. Too much salt in our diets can lead to inflammation and elevate blood pressure levels which increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Excessive consumption of salt can also change our gut bacteria, affect our immune system and even damage our stomach lining. According to the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey; bread, cheese and processed meats are the biggest contributors to salt in our diets, along with processed foods such as crisps, ready meals, sauces and tinned produce. Reducing salt consumption through a variety of ways such as adding herbs and spices instead of including salty flavourings such as soy sauce, stock cubes or ready made sauces can help reduce blood pressure and therefore the risk of heart disease.
Follow a healthy diet
Consuming a variety of dietary fibre is associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. A diet high in fibrous foods including fruits, vegetables, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds and wholegrains can help maintain a normal blood pressure. Limiting the consumption of saturated fats such as crisps, processed foods, takeaways and fatty meats or dairy can help reduce the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in our blood stream, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. Having high blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase the risk of atherosclerosis which is where the artery walls become built up with plaque, which over time narrows and hardens the arteries. Therefore, maintaining a normal level of LDL cholesterol can help reduce the risk of hypertension and heart disease. Swapping saturated for unsaturated fat including oily fish, avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds can help increase the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol which has protective properties for heart health and helps reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
Maintain a healthy weight and do physical activity
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of having high blood pressure, as well as increasing the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Blood pressure can decrease as weight is lost. This is due to the heart not having to work as hard to pump blood around the body. Keeping a healthy weight through physical activity and healthy eating can help prevent high blood pressure, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Regular exercise can also improve our mood, sleep quality and brain function. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity every week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. Moderate intensity activity includes brisk walking, gentle cycling or swimming, rollerblading or water aerobics. Vigorous intensity activity should increase your heart rate and breathing rate, this includes fast swimming, running, gymnastics, or sports like football or netball.
Get enough sleep and manage stress effectively
Recent studies have shown that regular poor quality sleep increases the risk of hypertension. Sleeping less than 5 hours per night, insomnia and interrupted sleep can all affect our blood pressure negatively. Aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night has been shown to be optimal for physical and mental health.
Stress levels can also affect our blood pressure. In a stressful situation adrenaline and cortisol are released into the bloodstream. These hormones make our heart beat faster and our blood vessels to narrow, which causes a temporary increase in blood pressure.The link between long-term chronic stress and blood pressure are still yet to be fully understood, however implementing relaxation techniques into everyday life can help us de-stress and have many benefits to our health and wellbeing. Relaxation techniques can vary from deep breathing, meditation, yoga, self-massage, visualisation and many others. Finding a technique that you enjoy and see yourself doing over a long period of time, which fits in with your lifestyle is important to consider, as not every technique works for everyone.
