Highlights:
• Hypertension also called high blood pressure
• Must do physical exercise and meditation
• Theme is Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer
World hypertension day is celebrated on 17 May of every year. Hypertension is just another name for High Blood Pressure.
Hypertension can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stoke and sometimes death. Blood pressure is the force that person’s blood exerts against the walls of their blood vessel. This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessel and how hard the heart has to work.
Treatment for hypertension
1. Regular physical exercise: People must be engaged in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity, aerobic exercise every week or 75 minutes per week of high intensity exercise. People should exercise atleast 5 days in a week. Some suitable activities are: walking, jogging, cycling, swimming.
2. Stress reduction: one should avoid stress which can help to control blood pressure. Some relaxation techniques to manage stress are : meditation, warm baths, yoga, going on long walks. People should avoid taking alcohol and recreational drugs to cope with stress, as these can contribute to elevated blood pressure and the complications of hypertension. Smoking can also increase blood pressure.
3. Meditation: people can do specific meditation to treat hypertension. Medication for hypertension includes:
• Diuretics
• Beta-blockers and alpha blockers
• Calcium-channel blockers
• Central agonists
• Vasodilators
• Angiotensin receptor blockers
Diet for preventing high blood pressure
1. Reducing salt intake: The American Heart Association recommends that people without hypertension consume less than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day which is equal to one teaspoon. People with hypertension consume less than 1500 mg of sodium per day.
2. Moderating alcohol consumption: The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of two alcoholic drink per day for men and one for women.
3. Eating more fruits and vegetables and less: People who have high blood pressure should reduce their intake of saturated fats . people must prioritize foods such as:
• Whole grain, high fiber foods
• A variety of fruits and vegetables
• Pulses, such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils
• Nuts
• Low fat dairy products etc
Causes of hypertension
Hypertension can be caused by multiple factors including:
• Having obesity
• Insulin resistance
• High salt intake
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Smoking
Theme of World Hypertension Day 2022
This year the theme of Hypertension day is Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer. It focuses on combating low awareness rates worldwide, especially in low to middle income areas and accurate blood pressure measurement methods.
