|
High Blood Pressure
Topics |
|
|
|
|
Preventing and Controlling High Blood
Pressure
There are several things that you can do to keep your blood pressure healthy.
These actions should become part of your regular lifestyle. You should
discuss with your health care provider the best ways for you to address
these issues.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight or obese can raise your blood pressure, and losing weight
can help you lower your blood pressure. Healthy weight status in adults is
usually assessed by using weight and height to compute a number called the
"body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because it relates to the amount of
body fat for most people. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is
considered to be obese. Overweight is a BMI between 25 and 29.9. Normal weight is
a BMI of 18 to 24.9. Proper diet and regular physical activity can help to
maintain a healthy weight. Other measures of excess body fat may include
waist measurements or waist and hip measurements. If you know your weight
and height, you can compute your BMI at the CDC's
Nutrition and Physical
Activity Program Web site.
Be Active
Being physically inactive is related to high blood pressure, and physical
activity can help to lower blood pressure. The Surgeon General recommends
that adults should engage in moderate–level physical activities for at least
30 minutes on most days of the week. For more information, see the CDC's
Nutrition and Physical
Activity Program Web site.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Along with healthy weight and regular physical activity, an overall healthy
diet can help to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. This includes
eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and lowering or cutting out salt
or sodium and increasing potassium. High salt and sodium intake and a low
potassium intake (due to not eating enough fruits and vegetables) can
increase blood pressure. You need to watch the sodium that is already
included in processed foods and to avoid adding sodium or salt in cooking or at the table.
Low saturated fat and cholesterol are also part of an overall healthy diet. Recent
studies such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial
show that blood pressure can be significantly lowered through diet. For
more information on diet and nutrition, see CDC's
Nutrition and Physical
Activity Program Web site.
Moderate Alcohol Use
Excessive alcohol consumption is related to increased blood pressure. People
who drink alcohol should do so in moderation. Based on current dietary
guidelines, moderate drinking for women is defined as an average of one drink
or less per day. Moderate drinking for men is defined as an average of two
drinks or less per day. More information on alcohol can be found at the CDC's
Alcohol and Public Health Web
site.
Prevent and Control Diabetes
People with diabetes have a higher risk of high blood pressure, but they can
also work to reduce their risk. Recent studies suggest that all people can
take steps to reduce their risk of diabetes. These include a healthy diet, weight loss and regular physical activity. For more information
about diabetes, see CDC's Diabetes
Program Web site.
No Tobacco
Smoking injures blood vessels and speeds up the process of hardening of the
arteries. Further, smoking is a major risk for heart disease and stroke.
If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Quitting
smoking lowers one’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Your doctor can
suggest programs to help you quit smoking. For more information about
tobacco use and quitting, see CDC's
Tobacco Intervention
and Prevention Source Web site.
Medications
If you develop high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe medications, in
addition to lifestyle changes, to
help bring it under control. Once your blood pressure is controlled
continuing your medication and doctor visits is critical to keep your blood
pressure in check. The lifestyle changes noted above are just as important as taking your medicines as
prescribed.
Genetic Factors
Genes can play a role in high blood pressure. It is also possible that
an increased risk of high blood pressure within a family is due to factors
such as a common sedentary lifestyle or poor eating habits. Therefore,
lifestyle factors should be considered for preventing and controlling high
blood pressure. Find out more about genetics and diseases on CDC's
Genomics and Disease Prevention Web
site.
Related Guidelines and Recommendations
-
The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention,
Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site.
-
Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure
From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site.
-
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of
Overweight and Obesity in Adults
From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site.
- Physical Activity
and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
This report brings together, for the first time, what has been learned
about physical activity and health from decades of research.
- Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans is published jointly every 5 years by
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
-
The
Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Pressure in Children and Adolescents
From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site.
- Surgeon General's Reports
Related to Tobacco Use
List of reports concerning smoking and health, including reports on
tobacco use among ethnic groups and young people.
Back to Top
Page last reviewed: August 22, 2007
Page last modified: February 9, 2007
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion
|
|