Posts Tagged 'high blood pressure'

High Blood Pressure and Exercise

Friday, August 20th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

Oftentimes we are concerned with the feasibility of exercising when suffering from an ailment. For patients of high blood pressure (hypertension) this is of even greater concern, with questions surrounding their body’s ability to endure the rigors of this increased activity and the wisdom of subjecting it to this additional pressure. This need not be of concern. In fact if you’re suffering from high blood pressure, moderate to medium exercise can be one of the most effective ways of controlling it. Consider that the heart is a muscle and similar to all other muscles, it maintains or increases strength with regular activity and loses its elasticity with inactivity and age. Exercise not only improves your cardiovascular system but can help in lowering your cholesterol and maintaining a healthy body weight, both of which are contributors to hypertension.

Although it is unclear as to exactly how exercise contributes to a lowering of high blood pressure, one of the prevailing theories is that exercise (aerobic) reduces insulin and insulin resistance, two of the factors associated with the development of hypertension. It’s also undeniable that regular physical activity strengthens the heart, the stronger the heart the lower the amount of effort needed to pump blood thus decreasing the strain on your arteries and lowering your blood pressure. Research has continuously shown that cardiovascular diseases are more prevalent among those individuals who are least fit, with hypertension being 30% to 50% more likely to occur.

Exercise programs are slotted into two distinct categories: Aerobic and Anaerobic. Aerobic exercise strengthens and enlarges the heart muscle along with the muscles of the respiratory system. The end result being that your cardiovascular system is strengthened, while your stamina and overall strength is increased. The decrease in your heart rate will, by extension lead to a decrease in your blood pressure over time. Anaerobic exercise on the other hand is useful in building: strength, muscle mass and speed, while also increasing the metabolic rate and is deemed to be more beneficial to athletes.

All physical activity which increases your heart and breathing rate can be considered aerobic, including such everyday activities as: bicycling, walking, dancing, climbing the stairs, mowing the lawn, raking leaves etc. More formal and structured forms of exercise include: basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis and racquetball among others. These types of activities are suggested for persons who would be more comfortable in participating in team activities or who may benefit from the support and encouragement of others. Yoga, Tai Chi chuan or any other form of martial arts could also be beneficial. For the patients of high blood pressure (hypertension) it’s important to remember that the aim is to participate in moderate forms of exercise. Moderate implies that you must exert yourself a little without getting too out of breath.

Your choice of exercise should be one which you like to do and can be incorporated into your daily routine without too much difficulty. Doing so would insure its longevity. Varying your exercise regimen will also help in breaking the monotony and encourage you to continue. An adequate exercise regimen should consist of at least thirty (30) minutes of exercise three to five times a week, at least every other day. An alternative method as suggested by the Surgeon General is that “all adults should accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, if not all days of the week. The key words are “accumulate” and “moderate-intensity.” Accumulate means that you can do 10-15 minutes at a time and repeat that a couple of times throughout the day; for example, 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes around dinner. Moderate intensity is equivalent to feeling “warm and slightly out of breath” when you do it.”

The natural aging process increases the chances of getting high blood pressure but participating in some form of exercise can reduce this risk. A single workout may reduce your blood pressure for the whole day and exercising regularly, consistently keeps the pressure down. It’s a personal choice as to what type of exercise one should follow but whatever type you choose you should first consult your doctor and get his/her recommendations, particularly if you are taking medication for high blood pressure. Self monitoring (heart rate monitor) during exercise is also advised. If there’s discomfort in the chest, jaw or arm or you experience dizziness or severe shortage of breath, stop all exercises immediately and notify your doctor, if these symptoms persist call 911.

High Blood Pressure – What is It?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

We all have heard about it, but do many of us really know what HBP really is. Quite simply, blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of our arteries. The actual pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury and is recorded as two numbers which are systolic pressure-one’s actual heart beats-over diastolic pressure-or when the heart relaxes between beats.

Actually, BP rises and falls over the day, and it becomes a concern if it stays elevated over time, which becomes high blood pressure. This can become very dangerous in that it causes the heart to work too hard and the force of the blood flow against the arteries not only may harm the arteries but also the heart, kidneys, the brain, and even one’s sight.

Unfortunately, once high blood pressure occurs, it most likely will last a lifetime, and if not controlled can lead to heart and kidney disease, stroke, and possibly blindness. What one needs to follow up on is that normal BP is less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).The more one’s BP rises above this normal measurement, the greater is the health risk.

One can control their BP with the following steps:

1) Watch your weight.
2) Practice to be fairly active physically 4-5 days of the week.
3) Eat healthy and watch your salt intake.
4) If you use alcohol, drink in moderation.

If you are under a doctor’s care for lowering blood pressure make sure you do not stop taking your medication. Living with high blood pressure means adjusting your daily lifestyle choices in order to reduce the probability of heart disease or stroke.

High Blood Pressure Statistics

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 No Commented
Under: Hypertension

This article is part of a series, which provides a comprehensive overview of high blood pressure (hypertension) and the serious health risks it presents. If you could eliminate hypertension from your life, would you? Now you can discover THE major high blood pressure cause – a toxin that’s been hidden for more than 50 years. By eliminating it, you can control your hypertension without using prescription drugs. Best of all, you’ll live a healthier, longer life. The American Heart Association states that high blood pressure causes more than 54,000 deaths each year in the U.S. and the World Health Organization estimates the number of deaths worldwide to be more than 7 million.

10 shocking statistics:

According to the American Heart Association, in 2006, hypertension killed 56,561 Americans. Here are more shocking statistics:

  • 74.5 million Americans age 20 and older have hypertension
  • For 90-95 percent of hypertension patients, the cause of the disease is unknown
  • Of those with hypertension, only 77.6 percent of Americans are aware of it
  • Only 67.9 percent of those are being treated for it
  • Only 44.1 percent have it under control
  • 55.9 percent do not have it controlled
  • Between 1996 and 2006 the death rate increased 19.5 percent, and the number of deaths rose by 48.1 percent
  • 2006 death rates per 100,000 Americans: 15.6 for white males, 51.1 for black males, 14.3 for white females and 37.7 for black females
  • 90% of middle-aged Americans will develop hypertension during their lifetime
  • Pregnancy induced hypertension is responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths annually

There were 44.8 million physician office visits in the US for high blood pressure in 2006. The estimated direct and indirect costs will be more than $73 million in 2009. In 2005, hypertension was listed as the primary cause of 57,356 American deaths. But there’s more to that story. For approximately 319,000 American deaths in 2005, hypertension was listed as a primary or contributing cause.

Eliminating high blood pressure is possible with lifestyle changes

There’s no question – high blood pressure is a deadly disease. And in 90-95 percent of the cases, the cause is unknown. However, for many years, some in the medical community have known that one toxin is a major cause of high blood pressure. It contributes to additional health problems as well, and is found in many common food items.

If you suffer from hypertension, making a few lifestyle changes and avoiding this toxin can save your life. These changes are easier and healthier than using a costly high blood pressure treatment that neither eliminates the disease nor the cause. Hypertension can be prevented. If you already have high blood pressure, it can be eliminated. Avoiding the deadly toxin is a great first step toward a healthier, longer life.