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How we pump up our blood pressure
(How to avoid - or reduce - high blood pressure)
Roughly one in six people have high blood pressure.
It doesn’t produce symptoms until something goes wrong, so many don’t
know they’ve got it. But if it is left uncontrolled, high blood pressure
can damage your heart, kidneys, brain, eyes and arteries. It’s sometimes
called the silent killer.
You can’t feel high blood
pressure, but it is simple to find out if you have it. Just visit your
family doctor or health centre for an on-the-spot check. Many chemists
also provide this service.
Once identified, there is good treatment
available to control your blood pressure and reduce the risk of it
causing damage.
High blood pressure is a result of the
stiffening or narrowing of blood vessels. Many people contribute to this
by eating too much salt. The modern diet can include a remarkable amount
of salt – not just what you add to your food, but hidden in everything
from bread and biscuits to curries and cheese.
Some of the things you can do
Try to cut your salt intake to less than 6 grams
a day. That's about a teaspoon in total, but remember that much
of it will be hidden in food you buy that has already been cooked or
processed. On average, people in the UK are consuming nearly 9 grams a
day – that’s 50% too much.
(If a food label lists the amount of sodium,
multiply this by 2.5 to get the equivalent amount of salt.)
Keep physically active, as this helps prevent
high blood pressure. (Most forms of exercise do not raise blood
pressure, despite what is commonly thought.)
Get your blood pressure measured every two
years.
What the book covers
The book explains
what high blood pressure is
how it is measured
what causes it
how to avoid getting this dangerous condition
what to do if your blood pressure is high.
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Next: diabetes
Selected references for the book