It has almost been a couple of months that I am studying and researching about hypertension, or high blood pressure. Every now and then, I am conversing with some hypertensive patients, who provide me with a new blog idea every single time. It was only last Saturday when I had a super intriguing conversation with a woman, who visited PGI for her regular check up as her bladder surgery was due in February, 2020. She asked me a simple question but it did meant a lot of sense when we had a conversation over it.
The woman asked me whether the lifestyle modifications can manage the blood pressure levels and I must tell you that I have not stopped researching about it since then. People who are in their pre-hypertensive stage or stage-1 of hypertension are recommended some lifestyle changes to manage their blood pressure levels.
These lifestyle changes include some reductions or additions to their routine activities such as dietary intake, exercise, behavioural modifications etc. Here are some of the recommended lifestyle changes:
Addition to the diet and lifestyle:
- Fruits, vegetables and whole grains
- Walk for at least 30 minutes a day at a speed of 6 km/hr for at least 5 days a week
- Drink at least 8-10 glass of water a day
- Fish and poultry products
- Low-fat dairy products
- Garlic (one clove a day)
- Olives and olive oil
- Aerobic exercises(optional)
Reduce:
- Salt/Sodium intake
- Trans fatty acids.
- Unsaturated fat
- Refined carbohydrates
- Non-vegetarian diet such as meat and chicken
- Sugar, sugary drinks
- Alcohol
- Weight
- Quit smoking
In our last few blogs, we have already discussed that hypertension is notable risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), stroke, and heart failure. The hypertensive patients are strictly suggested to stick to their medications and introduce some lifestyle changes in their day-to-day routine. Now, here’s the question of the hour: How effective are these lifestyle changes?
The British Hypertension Society (BHS) guidelines, point out that an effective lifestyle modification can lower blood pressure by at least as much as a single hypertensive drug. It also states that it will be better that pre-hypertensive and those with strong hypertension family history should be provided with advice for prevention as well as treatment of hypertension.
According to Dr S S Sodhi (Cardiologist, President, IMA Mohali), “ Lifestyle modifications can lead to a fall of upto 10 or more mm of Hg in the systolic (upper) blood pressure. This applied to a prehypertensive can delay the onset of medicine requiring hypertension, reduce the requirement of medicines in hypertensives and also reduce the incidence of complications of hypertension. Apart from hypertension, a healthy lifestyle helps maintaining good health.”
A study in British Journal of General Practice also underlined that a clear written and verbal communication between the carer and patient is also quite necessary as it gives both of them a chance to talk through their potential problems. Patients can understand hypertension and their blood pressure readings better with the help of a physician. The studies have also shown that physicians can have a powerful influence on their patients’ willingness to make changes.
The side effects of drugs have become a widely-discussed topic worldwide and people have been diverting towards the effective alternative options. In the past few years, it has been seen that people are taking the charge of their health and becoming more aware of their conditions.