If you have high blood pressure, there are several tools that can help bring it down.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, means that your blood is pushing too forcefully against the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, this force can damage delicate tissues in the arteries and can ultimately lead to heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems.
“Because hypertension symptoms are subtle, many people don’t do enough to manage the condition in its early stages,” says Eli Chakhtoura, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Clara Maass Medical Center. “Fortunately, if you have hypertension, there are many things you can do to keep it under control.” Take this quick quiz to see how well you understand the condition.
1. A low-sodium diet means I have to put away the salt shaker.
T F
2. I only need to take my blood pressure medication until my numbers come down.
T F
3. Certain foods can help bring blood pressure down.
T F
4. Exercise will raise my blood pressure.
T F
5. Relaxing can help lower blood pressure.
T F
And the Answer Is...
1. False.
It’s true that if you are adding a lot of salt to foods, you should cut back. However, up to 70 percent of the sodium in our diets comes from packaged, processed foods, including canned soups and sauces, fast food and cured meats such as bacon. To reduce sodium intake, eat fresh foods whenever possible. For processed foods, read the Nutrition Facts on food labels to determine how many milligrams (mg) of sodium are in each serving of the product.
2. False
It is possible that you will need to take the medicines for the rest of your life. Work closely with your doctor to determine how much medicine you need to take, and for how long. Be sure to take medication exactly as prescribed.
3. True.
Any foods that have potassium—including bananas, sweet potatoes and leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, kale or collards—can help flush sodium out of the body. A daily cup of blueberries has been shown to lower patients’ blood pressure. Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids— like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and albacore tuna—have many cardiovascular benefits and also lower blood pressure.
4. False.
Regular physical activity—30 minutes on most days of the week—has been shown to bring blood pressure down. It makes the heart stronger, meaning it has to work less to pump blood, which decreases the force of blood in the arteries. Walking, cycling, swimming and dancing can be effective ways of lowering blood pressure, as can active house and yard work and sports.
5. True.
In a short-term stressful situation, your body produces a surge of hormones that can cause your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow. Long-term stress can lead to behaviors that contribute to higher blood pressure, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol and eating unhealthy
foods. A healthy lifestyle and a change in attitude can do wonders for improving your cardiovascular health.
Your heart doesn’t beat just for you. Get it checked. To schedule an appointment with a Clara Maass Medical Center cardiac specialist, visit
www.rwjbh.org/cmmcheart.
Recipe:
Low-sodium recipe: Turkey quinoa stuffed pepper