Blood pressure is the measure of lateral force exerted by blood flowing in the vessels. It is estimated that 25% of urban and 10% of rural population of India have hypertension.
As per the latest American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, normal BP should be less than 120/80 mm of Hg. BP more than 140/90 should to be treated with medications and individuals whose reading falls between the values mentioned above, need an expert guidance on whether medication is needed or not.
High blood pressure can damage the eyes, heart, kidney and brain.
What can you do to keep your BP under control?
- Meditation: doing yoga and breathing exercises help in reducing the sympathetic tone which in turn relaxes the blood vessels and helps reduce BP.
- Quitting smoking and alcohol: this will help improve the inner lining of the blood vessels and enhance good blood flow.
- Increasing intake of fruits and vegetables: it should contribute 25 to 30% of your daily dietary intake. The increased calcium, potassium and magnesium content are shown to reduce systolic BP by 8-14 mm of Hg.
- Reducing salt intake: avoid pickles, salted fish and junk food. Salt usage in daily cooking should be reduced by half. As per the AHA guidelines, acceptable limit is 2.5 grams/day of Sodium.
- Regular aerobic exercises: brisk walking or jogging for half an hour daily is known to reduce BP by 3-5 mm of Hg.
- Reducing your weight by 5 kg helps reduce systolic blood pressure by 2.5-10 mm of Hg.
These simple proven measures can go a long way in keeping your blood pressure under control and prevent its harmful effects on the body.
Dr. Magesh Balakrishnan is our in-house Interventional Cardiologist at Zen Dental and Health Care.
For consultation, you can call us at: 080-48655431
