#Creating Awareness

Happy World Hypertension Day!

Today is World Hypertension Day.

The World Hypertension League [WHL] launched its first World Hypertension Day [WHD] on May 14, 2005. Since 2006, the WHL has been dedicating May 17 of every year as WHD.

The objective of WHD is to communicate to the public the importance of hypertension and its serious medical complications, and to provide information on prevention, detection and treatment.

Every year there is a different theme for World Hypertension Day.

 This year, 2023, the World Hypertension Day theme is ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer’, which focuses on the efforts to combat the low awareness rates of hypertension, especially in low to middle-income areas and to promote accurate blood pressure measurement methods.

Obesity and metabolic obesity are key drivers for hypertension. High BP was associated with overweight and obesity in this study.

India ranked 193rd for women and 170th for men in the rate of hypertension diagnosis among 200 countries. India has one of the lowest rates of hypertension diagnosis in the world.

Hypertension is a common condition that affects the body’s arteries. It’s also called High blood pressure.If you have high blood pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high. The heart has to work harder to pump blood.

The blood pressure is divided into four general categories.

• Normal blood pressure. Blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg or lower.

• Elevated blood pressure. The top number ranges from 120 to 129 mm Hg and the bottom number is below, not above, 80 mm Hg.

• Stage 1 hypertension. The top number ranges from 130 to 139 mm Hg or the bottom number is between 80 and 89 mm Hg.

• Stage 2 hypertension. The top number is 140 mm Hg or higher or the bottom number is 90 mm Hg or higher.

• Blood pressure higher than 180/120 mm Hg is considered a hypertensive emergency or crisis. Seek emergency medical help for anyone with these blood pressure numbers.

Untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems. It’s important to have your blood pressure checked at least every two years starting at age 18. Some people need more-frequent checks than others.

By living a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Preventing hypertension can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

 Practice the following healthy living habits:

Eat a Healthy Diet

Choose healthy meal and snack options to help you avoid high blood pressure and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetable.

Control Salt Intake

Restricting salt intake will also help in reducing Hypertension risk of body.

Keep Yourself at Your Healthy Weight

Having overweight or obesity increases your risk for high blood pressure. To determine whether your weight is in a healthy range, doctors often calculate your body mass index (BMI).

Be Physically Active

Physical activity can help keep you at a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure. The Physical Activity Guidelines recommends that adults get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or bicycling, every week. That’s about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day.

Maintain Good Muscle Tone at Any Age

Muscle help in processing sugars and fats better and reduce pressure on our organs. They also help us maintain healthy weight.  And as we all know overweight and obesity is directly connected to Hypertension incidences.

Do Not Smoke

Smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit.

Limit How Much Alcohol You Drink

Do not drink too much alcohol, which can raise your blood pressure. Men should have no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day, and women should have no more than 1 alcoholic drink per day.

Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is important to your overall health, and enough sleep is part of keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

So on this World Hypertension Day let us pledge to include all the above mentioned practises in our daily life and keep ourselves fit.  Have a happy Hypertension Free life ahead!

For all your wellness & weight or nutrition related concerns visit us today!