Taking Control Of Those Silent Killer
Are you aware of the silent killers that may be doing their dirty work inside your body?
As we grow older, we become more susceptible to elevated blood pressure levels.
A person suffering from high blood pressure is vulnerable to a lot of dangers, and some of them can be very fatal.
Statistics show that 1 out of every 3 people over the age of 21 suffer from hypertension, the medical term for chronic high blood pressure. The percentage increases as the age group grows older.
For example, 3 out of 5 people above the age of 35 have to experience episodes of high blood pressure and 3 out of 4 people above the age of 50 have to suffer the same fate.
Let’s look at the age group below 40 because it is a demographic of particular interest given the wide discrepancy in results regarding cases of hypertension. Some people below the age of 40 have to live with hypertension and there are some people belonging to the same age group that do not experience any problems with high blood pressure.
What causes the difference?
Lifestyle has a lot to do with not developing high blood pressure.
People who follow the proper diet and exercise regularly are less likely to develop chronic high blood pressure. People who do not get adequate sleep are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Risk factors for high blood pressure do play a role. The chances of a person developing chronic high blood pressure increases with the presence of these risk factors.
There are two kinds of risk factors: those within our control and those beyond our control.
The following are the controllable risk factors:
– Weight. Subjects above their ideal body mass index (BMI) are more likely to develop chronic high blood pressure. The dangers increase with every point above the ideal BMI. The high blood pressure risk calculator used by the American Heart Association, in fact, considers the subject’s BMI as a critical factor in determining potential dangers.
Alcohol Consumption- Directly proportional to high blood pressure readings is the amount of alcohol in the subject’s system. Moderate intake of alcohol can dramatically improve a person’s blood pressure measurements.
Salt Intake- The cardinal rule for individuals Remember the cardinal rule for people with hypertension? Stay away from salt. Even a few grains of salt can be deadly. Sodium in the blood invites water in the blood. And water in the blood would require the heart to exert more effort, resulting in high blood pressure.
Sedentary Lifestyle- People who live a “lazy” lifestyle are more prone to being obese and to developing heart diseases.
Stress- Stress forces the body to release epinephrine which constricts the blood vessels and elevates blood pressure readings.
The risk factors above can easily be remedied by adopting the disciple necessary for a healthier lifestyle.
Unfortunately, there are also uncontrollable risk factors such as the following:
Genetics- Indeed, hypertension can be embedded on your DNA. It can be passed on from generation to generation.
Age- Most people experience their most serious bouts of high blood pressure beyond the age of 35.
Gender- Men are more likely to develop hypertension at an earlier age. Women are more likely to acquire chronic high blood pressure during the years post-menopause.
Race- Studies reveal that black people are more likely to develop hypertension than Caucasians. They also tend to suffer more severe cases of high blood pressure.
Knowing the risk factors associated with hypertension is half the battle.
The question now is, what are you going to do with such knowledge?
The first step is accepting you may have a problem, then taking action by monitoring your blood pressure at home as well as working closely with your doctor to achieve optimal blood pressure and start living a longer healthier life.
Today, start taking an active role in achieving optimal health.
Learn to check your blood pressure at home and give yourself the chance to live a happier, healthier life.