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Five steps to keeping your blood pressure in the healthy range
You can't control your family history or your age, but you can control behaviours that put you at higher risk for high blood pressure. Here are five things the Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests you can do to keep it in the healthy range.
Get your reading done
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Think of it like water in a garden hose. If the water pressure is too high, it can cause the hose to burst, especially in weak areas. Similarly, if blood pressure is too high, it may burst a blood vessel in the brain causing a stroke, or burst a blood vessel leading to the heart, which could result in death. High blood pressure can also damage blood vessel walls and promotes the build-up of fatty plaque, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Strokes and heart attacks occur when a piece of this plaque breaks and a blood clot forms blocking blood flow to the brain or the heart.
The only way to know if you actually have high blood pressure is to have it measured. You should ask your healthcare provider for your blood pressure numbers and what they means. In general, unless you have heart disease or another serious illness, the lower the number the better. An optimal reading is 120/80 or lower. Get your blood pressure checked at least once every two years by a healthcare professional.
Weight loss
If you have high blood pressure and you're carrying extra pounds, the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that you lose weight. Work with your doctor to find out what your optimal body mass index (BMI) should be. Another important risk factor is waist circumference. Men's waistlines should not exceed 102 centimetres (40 inches) and women's, 88 centimetres (35 inches).
Physical activity
The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that Canadians be physically active, 30 minutes a day, most days of the week to help keep your blood pressure under control.
Salt
Many of the foods we eat in Canada are salty – chips, pretzels, popcorn, sauces, condiments and processed foods, not to mention the salt we shake on our food. Here's the catch: it is suggested that your body only needs one teaspoon (5 mL) a day to function properly. Eating a lot of salty foods increases the volume of blood circulating in your arteries, which leads to high blood pressure. The Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests Canadians limit salt intake to less than one teaspoon (5 mL) a day (2,300 mg of sodium). Look for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check™ symbol, now on more than 1,000 food items, to ensure that the products you buy are healthy choices.
Alcohol
It's fine for Canadians to kick back with a favourite brew to watch hockey or drink a fine wine with dinner – as long as it's in moderation. Drinking more than two drinks a day on a regular basis may raise blood pressure and may increase your cholesterol – two major risk factors that contribute to heart attacks and stroke. The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that you limit your daily intake to one to two standard drinks of beer, wine or liquor, for a weekly maximum of nine for women and 14 for men. A standard drink includes one bottle of 5% beer, one glass of 12% wine or one shot of 40% spirits.
