Hypertension or high blood pressure is a big problem faced by a lot of people all over the world. It is also called a ‘silent killer’ as most people suffering from it are not aware of it and because of how dangerous it is.
Hypertension is often followed by obesity and diabetes and can seriously affect the health of a person. It has been found that about 60 percent of all the people suffering from hypertension are more than 20 percent overweight.
Understanding the risks of hypertension
Hypertension is very dangerous to the working of internal organs of a person. A person with high blood pressure has a higher risk of having heart diseases, stroke, kidney failure, and other serious problems. Both men and women are equally affected by the problems associated with high BP.
The normal blood pressure of a person is when the systolic reading is 120 or below and the diastolic reading is 80 or below. A person is said to high blood pressure when his/her systolic number is above 140 and the diastolic number is above 90.
When the reading is between normal and high, doctors use the term prehypertension to describe it. People having prehypertension are at high risk for developing hypertension than normal people.
How high blood pressure can be prevented?
High blood pressure can be brought under control by changing one’s lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle can have a lot of benefits on your body physically and mentally, including reducing high blood pressure.
Some of the things to do are:
- Maintain a proper weight or lose weight if you are overweight.
- Exercise more and stick to a schedule
- Reduce salt intake. Use less salt in the meals your prepare at home
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Reduce or stop drinking alcoholic beverages
Medicines are also prescribed by doctors to reduce hypertension along with the above-mentioned changes depending on how high the reading was.
Blood pressure and weight
About 70 percent of the total population in the United States is overweight. 37 million U.S. adults suffer from hypertension. And it’s not surprising that the number of people who are obese and the number of people with hypertension are almost the same.
Overweight makes it more likely for a person to develop hypertension than people with normal weight. The increase in the body weight of a person usually leads to a rise in his/her blood pressure, especially if the weight is gained in the belly area.
Hypertension can be reduced significantly by losing weight. Even losing a small amount of weight can make a big difference in preventing and reducing high blood pressure.
How to lose weight to reduce high blood pressure
The best ways to reduce weight are regular exercise and eating food with lower calories. The weight loss must be done slowly in order to have the best results. The longest-lasting and healthiest weight loss happens when it is done slowly and gradually.
It is better to consult a physician to prepare a diet and exercise schedule for yourself. Some of the things to keep in mind while trying to reduce weight are:
- Go for food rich in fiber as they have lower calories and high vitamin and minerals
- Choose whole-wheat above processed starches
- Reduce the amount of food intake
- Keep a diary and note your progress
- Exercise regularly
What if exercising and dieting are not an option?
Even though most of the people suffering from hypertension are obese, not everyone will be able to follow a diet or exercise regularly to reduce weight. This can be due to other health problems he/she may be suffering.
For such people, weight loss can be achieved by the different bariatric and endoscopic weight loss procedures that are now safely carried out all over the world. Medical institutions like Be Better Bariatrics offers effective weight loss procedures with any surgeries.
The procedures we carry out are 100 percent endoscopic and will help any person lose weight without dieting or exercising. These procedures are carried out by inserting a thin tube with a camera at one end through the mouth of the patient to the digestive tract. The weight loss procedures offered here are:
- Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty
- ORBERA Intragastric Balloon
- Weight Regain after Bariatric Surgery
All these procedures are effective, have lower risks, and are minimally evasive, reversible, and repeatable. The cost of these procedures is very low compared to surgeries.
Since obesity and hypertension are connected, the best way to escape from hypertension and its dangerous effects on the human body is to reduce weight. So check with your doctor, change your lifestyle and do the necessary to reduce your weight. Health is the most valuable thing anyone can have and must not be taken for granted.
