Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure (BP). BP is an important measure of health but many people don’t have it checked regularly. High blood pressure or hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attacks and according to the Irish Heart Foundation, affects one million people in Ireland. In this post, we’ll explain how blood pressure is measured, what the numbers mean, give an overview of how hypertension can be reduced including some new studies on diet and exercise.
BLOOD PRESSURE EXPLAINED
Blood Pressure (BP) measures the force exerted by the heart when it pumps blood around the body. The force is measured twice. The first (top) number is called the Systolic pressure and it records the pressure as the heart contracts. The second (lower) number is called the Diastolic pressure and it measures the force when the heart is at rest and refilling with blood. By measuring these two forces, it is possible to asssess if a patient’s BP is within the normal range or if it is high and hypertension is diagnosed.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE MEASURED?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), high blood pressure or hypertension, is a major cause of premature death worldwide and they estimate that up to 46% of adults with the condition are unaware because many people do not experience any symptoms. It is often described as the ‘silent killer’ because while you may not experience symptoms, hypertension puts you at a higher risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke and other diseases.
A global study with almost 27,000 participants in 32 countries identified the top ten risk factors associated with stroke and found that hypertension was the most significant modifiable risk factor in all types of stroke and across all countries.
The Irish Institute of Public Health notes that hypertension is responsible for significant premature mortality, reduced quality of life and significant costs to the health and social care system and to the economy. In Ireland, almost 65% of people who are aged 45 and over have high blood pressure so it is vitally important to have your blood pressure checked annually if you are in that age group while younger adults are advised by the Irish Heart Foundation to have it checked every 5 years.
WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN
In Ireland, the Health Service Executive (HSE) defines high blood pressure as 140/90mmHg but they caution that readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.
Six years ago, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology lowered the definition of high blood pressure from 140/90mmHG to 130/80mmHg. The authors of the revised guidelines note that the risk of cardiovascular complications doubles for those whose BP is between 130-139/80-89mmHg compared to those with normal BP of 120/80mmHg or less. They also point out that damage to blood vessel walls happens soon after BP is elevated so the earlier interventions begin the better the outcome for the patient.
While there is some variation in how health authorities around the world define high blood pressure, there is general agreement that maintaining blood pressure readings at or below 120/80mmHg significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases.
Of course, there are always exceptions and recommendations have to be made based on many factors including the patient’s age, general metabolic health etc.
HOW TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
Fortunately there are plenty of ways to reduce blood pressure with small lifestyle changes such as reducing the amount of salt consumed, adding more vegetables and fruit to the diet and getting more exercise. There are also a range of medications available if lifestyle changes alone are not effective enough in lowering BP. A health professional will review the patient’s individual needs in order to chose the best course of action to minimise risks to their health.
FURTHER RESEARCH
Many studies have confirmed the leading role of dietary salt in increasing blood pressure and excessive intake of sodium (defined by the WHO as more than 2g of sodium or more than 5g of sodium chloride* per day) is directly linked to high blood pressure. It was found that the higher the daily salt intake, the higher the systolic blood pressure. Click here for a more in-depth look at dietary salt and the latest research on salt substitutes.
Physical exercise is also recommended by health professionals as an important means of reducing hypertension although patients should always consult their GP or healthcare professional before starting a vigorous exercise plan.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine earlier this year had some surprising findings. The authors conducted a large-scale meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and found that some exercise types are more effective in reducing blood pressure than other. For more information on the research click here.
*sodium chloride = table salt
A FINAL WORD
It is clear that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for the Irish population and more attention should be focused on initiatives that create awareness and support early interventions in order to mitigate the risk of stroke, cardiovascular and other diseases. The workplace is an ideal setting to provide education and support that can change lives with knowledge and awareness.
Click here to view details on our “Know Your Blood Pressure” workshop which is designed to meet the needs of your specific workforce. Informative, interactive and fun, this half hour workshop offers a proven educational programme and an opportunity for each participant to have their blood pressure measured by a qualified professional.
Additional references used in research for this Blog which are not hyperlinked in the text:
O’Donnell, M.J., Chin, S.L., Rangarajan, S., Xavier, D., Liu, L., Zhang, H., Rao-Melacini, P., Zhang, X., Pais, P., Agapay, S. and Lopez-Jaramillo, P., 2016. Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study. The lancet, 388(10046), pp.761-775.
Zhou, B., Carrillo-Larco, R.M., Danaei, G., Riley, L.M., Paciorek, C.J., Stevens, G.A., Gregg, E.W., Bennett, J.E., Solomon, B., Singleton, R.K. and Sophiea, M.K., 2021. Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants. The Lancet, 398(10304), pp.957-980.
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