Lower Blood Pressure

Because there is no cure for Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, it is important to look after and improve your artery health before you develop the condition. Atherosclerosis is closely linked to high blood pressure which in turn has many contributory factors. Some of these are caused by lifestyle factors which you can do something about, before it’s too late. Many people who have high blood pressure may not know it, so the first recommendation is to have your blood pressure checked out by your physician, or alternatively by using a personal electronic blood pressure tester. This is especially important if you are over 45 years of age, have a family history of high blood pressure or a contributory medical factor such as diabetes. If you find that your blood pressure is greater than 140/90 you are considered to be suffering from hypertension. There are a number of counter measures that you can take for yourself as detailed below.

1. Stop Smoking

If you are a smoker, consider giving up or drastically reducing your intake of tobacco products, with a view to eliminating them completely as soon as possible. A person who smokes cigarettes, or other forms of tobacco exposes him or herself to between two and four times the average person’s risk of developing coronary heart disease. For patients who already have heart disease, smoking is a serious additional risk factor. Cardiac patients who are smokers are twice as likely to die from a heart attack as non-smoking cardiac patients. Passive smoking, or exposure to other peoples exhaled smoke also increases the risk of developing heart disease for non-smokers.

2. Reduce your Blood Cholesterol level

You should have your blood Cholesterol level checked by your physician periodically. If you have raised levels of blood cholesterol levels because of your diet then you should reduce your intake of fatty foods, and increase the frequency of periodical monitoring of your Cholesterol levels. There are four factors that determine the blood Cholesterol level – age, gender, hereditary factors and diet. Unchecked high Cholesterol levels due to diet can damage the arteries and increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

3. Reduce your High Blood Pressure

Raised blood pressure increases the amount of work that the heart has to perform, and can cause the tissues of the circulatory system, including the arteries to become thicker and more brittle. This not only increases the risk of developing heart disease, but also increases the associated risk of stroke, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. You should work with your doctor to lower your blood pressure. This may involve taking blood pressure medication and/or other lifestyle factors.

4. Reverse your sedentary lifestyle

Caution – Before embarking on any exercise program be sure to consult with your doctor.

Leading a physically inactive lifestyle is a contributory risk factor for poor artery health and developing coronary heart disease. Regular exercise is beneficial in lowering this risk, especially if it involves moderate or greater amounts of physical exertion. The British Heart Foundation has recommended a half hour period of medium to strenuous exercise 3 times a week, to maintain heart and blood vessel health. The more vigorous the activity, within reason, the greater the benefits obtained. However, lower levels of activity can still be beneficial if they maintained in the long term. There are also side benefits associated with increased physical activity in that it can assist in reducing blood cholesterol.

5. Lose weight

Obese people have a greater risk of developing heart disease. When a person is overweight for their body’s size, their heart has to perform more work. When a person’s waist measurement is greater than the hips there is an additional increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Obesity also results in higher blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

6. Manage your diabetes carefully

This condition greatly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, even if the blood glucose level is well managed by the patient, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. However the risks are further increased if the blood glucose level is poorly managed. So it is very important to maintain stable blood glucose levels over the long term.

7. Reduce your alcohol consumption

Drinking too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart failure and stroke. It can also increase the risk of developing cancer and other diseases. However the risk of developing heart disease has been found to be less in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol, compared to those that drink no alcohol. The most important advice is to visit your doctor if you feel that you have identified one or more of the above risk factors to your arterial health, either in your lifestyle or heredity. Do not panic, but do not delay either, as it is rarely too late to seek help and begin a program of remedial treatment, most of which is within your control and without financial cost.