by Abigail Zhu

Created on: September 12, 2009   Last Updated: September 13, 2009

Managing your high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, would be useful in helping you to lower your cardiovascular risks. High blood pressure or hypertension - a silent killer, especially when it results in heart related complications - has no signs or symptom, with many people unaware that they are suffering from it. Although the cause is unknown, there appears to be linkage between high blood pressure (hypertension) and poor lifestyle habits such as an unhealthy or salty diet, and the lack of exercise.

Managing high blood pressure (hypertension) and keeping it under control helps to lower your cardiovascular risks, and a reduction in complications such as stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and even death. For most adults, blood pressure should be maintained below 140/90. While for those suffering from chronic kidney disease or diabetes should maintain a blood pressure below 130/80.

The following are ways to help reduce and manage your blood pressure:

Lose Weight
This is application should only be attempted by those who are overweight. In order to notice a reduction in blood pressure, it is necessary to lose about 4.5kg. For every 1kg that is lost, blood pressure decreases by 0.5-2.

Eat Well
Eating a healthy and balanced diet by getting plenty of potassium, eating less saturated fat and total fat, would help in successfully managing one's blood pressure.

Reduce Salt Intake
Salty food should be avoided, and should not be added to food at the table. Currently the acceptable limit for salt intake for healthy adults is 2,000mg of sodium per day. The average person tends to exceed this recommendation.

Limit Alcohol Consumption
Having more than two alcoholic drinks per day, results in increases in blood pressure. A drink is equivalent to 355ml of beer with 5 percent alcoholic volume, 150ml of 12 percent wine, or 30ml of 40 percent spirits.

Exercise
With as little as one hour of low intensity activities (e.g. walking), which is performed about three to four times a week, the optimum reductions in blood pressure can be achieved.

Smoking
Even though smoking does not cause high blood pressure (hypertension), it does increase the risk of heart disease in people who have high blood pressure (hypertension) and can reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure lowering medication. It is to be noted that these changes should be made in consultation with a doctor, so that the medication can be adjusted to suit each patient.

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