Healthy Lifestyle

What is High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood on the blood vessels and the heart. It has two components: systolic pressure (higher count) is the maximum pressure in the arteries when the heart is actively pumping whereas diastolic pressure (lower count) is the minimum pressure when the heart is resting in between beats. Hypertension or high blood pressure (BHP) is defined as a blood pressure consistently exceeding 140/90mmHg when resting.

Called the ’silent killer’ because it does not always produce symptoms, it is one of the most common ailments that damage many organs. Uncontrolled high blood pressure leads to serious complications like heart attack, stroke, blindness and chronic kidney failure.

Who is most at risk of getting High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure can be broadly divided into 2 types:

1. In primary hypertension (95% of all cases of HBP), strong genetic and environmental factors lead to HBP.
2. In secondary hypertension (5% of all cases of HBP), an identifiable cause exists such as kidney disease, endocrine disorder and drugs intake.

Certain individuals have a greater risk of developing HBP, these include those who are older, are overweight, have a family history of HBP and are members of certain ethnic groups (Malays).

Have your blood pressure measured regularly - at least once every year if you are obese, have a family history of HBP, or if you’re above 40 years of age.

How do I know if I have High Blood Pressure?

It is important to have regular check-ups to detect HBP. Elevated blood pressure often causes no symptoms at all. However some people may experience:

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Nosebleeds

How can I control High Blood Pressure?

If you have HBP, a doctor may recommend the following:

• Lose excess weight
• Exercise regularly
• Cut down your salt intake
• Avoid alcohol intake
• Eat less saturated fats
• Stop smoking
• Initiate prescribed medication

Should treatment be for life?

In the majority of patients, treatment is required for life. The doctor usually monitors blood pressure at regular intervals and evaluates the need for adjustment of drug therapy. One should not alter the medication dosage without consulting the physician.

Some facts about High Blood Pressure?

• High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of kidney failure in Singapore.
• High blood pressure is exacerbated by obesity. Losing excess weight reduces your risk and may be sufficient to control high blood pressure.
• High blood pressure among those with abnormal kidney function can accelerate progression to kidney failure.

What is Hypertension?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a lifelong disease requiring continuous treatment. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, loss of vision and other serious complications. Patients with hypertension should recognise the seriousness of this life-threatening disease and take measures to control it.

A variety of dietary modifications have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension, including salt and alcohol restriction as well as weight reduction. Increasing potassium intake, consuming fish oil supplements and acquiring a vegetarian diet can also lower blood pressure in some patients. Lifestyle changes, such as cessation of smoking and the initiation of an aerobic exercise regimen are also important. Indeed cases of mild hypertension may be sufficiently managed by the introduction of these lifestyle changes.

Follow these simple dietary guidelines to make a positive change in your health:

Shake the salt habit

• Avoid foods high in salt such as canned food, ham, bacon, sausages, fast food, salted snacks (nuts and chips), pickled vegetables and salted fish.
• Read labels. Avoid foods where ’sodium’ appears early in the list of ingredients, as this suggests a high content of salt.
• Use less salt while cooking. Use herbs, lemon, ginger, garlic, pepper or other spices to add flavour to your food. Mono sodium glutamate (MSG) is a form of salt and should be used sparingly.
• Cut down on sauces while cooking. Sauces contain high amounts of salt. Taste your food before adding any sauces, it might taste just right even without the sauces.
• Avoid adding additional salt to cooked foods.

Get the fat and cholesterol out

• Steam, grill, stew, bake, boil or stir-fry your foods.
• Avoid fatty meat or poultry. Choose lean portions of meat or fish. Remove the skin from chicken or duck before cooking.
• Take less coconut milk, egg yolk and organ meats like liver and brain. There are high in cholesterol. Eat no more than 2 - 3 eggs a week.
• Use polyunsaturated fats like soya bean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil or sesame oil for cooking.

Go Green - have more fibre

• Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Take wholemeal breads instead of white breads.
• For snacks and desserts, select wholemeal biscuits or fresh fruits.

Potassium power
Potassium depletion tends to raise blood pressure. To keep potassium levels up, try to include food like bananas, grapefruit juice, tomatoes, oranges, baked or boiled potatoes and beans in your diet. Note that if you already have kidney disease, you must ask your doctor before eating such foods.

Don’t Bottoms-up
Limit yourself to no more than one alcoholic drink a day.

Stub out the smoking habit
The harmful chemicals in cigarettes increase the risk of heart disease. If you smoke, decide to stop now. Join a support group to quit smoking. Talk to nurse counsellors to participate in a smoking cessation programme.

Stretch those muscles
Sedentary living or infrequent exercise is not good for those with hypertension. A programme of approved aerobic training, such as brisk walking, slow jogging, cycling or swimming at least three to four times a week is beneficial. However, violent of strenuous exercise such as heavy weight training can actually raise blood pressure levels. These forms of exercises could be dangerous for those with high blood pressure.

Changing your lifestyle is not always easy. However, it’s important to break out of old habits and make healthy choice for your heart.