Expert Talk: 5 Techniques & Apps To Control Hypertension, According To A Consultant Endocrinologist & Diabetologist

Hypertension is commonly called high blood pressure. It is a significant cause of premature deaths, with upwards of 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women suffering from the condition*. If not diagnosed in time and properly treated, hypertension can lead to several health complications and increase the risk of heart diseases, strokes, kidney disease, eye problems and sometimes premature death.

In the human body, blood is carried from the heart to all body parts through blood vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is nothing but the pressure that flowing blood exerts against the wall of blood vessels (arteries). The higher the pressure, the harder the heart must pump, which can eventually increase the risk of various diseases. 

In collaboration with The Channel 46 on the occasion of World Hypertension Day (17th May), Dr Sweta Budyal, Consultant Endocrinologist & Diabetologist, Fortis Hospital, offers her expert advice on five techniques and apps that can help lower hypertension in a systematic manner. 

1. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues and helps the cardiovascular system to function properly. When the heart and lung health improve, the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, decreases. It is an excellent idea to combine aerobic and resistance training, so that a person can feel energised during the day while improving their overall health and well-being. 

2. Eat A Healthy Diet

A good, well-balanced diet can protect a person against many chronic non-communicable diseases, including heart diseases and diabetes. A combination of different foods, including staple foods (cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, maize or rice, or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro, or cassava), legumes (lentils, beans), vegetables, fruit, and foods from animal sources (meat, fish, eggs and milk) are all essential components of a good and healthy diet. It is a good idea to follow a DASH diet that essentially involves consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats and reducing the intake of saturated fats, processed foods and total fats. Weight loss by adopting a healthy lifestyle can also reduce blood pressure.

3. Reduce Sodium In Your Diet

Most of the sodium in your diets comes from packaged, and restaurant food and is a direct result of food processing. When a person consumes too much of sodium, the human body retains more fluid, leading to high blood pressure and increasing the risk of kidney, heart, and brain damage. Increasing potassium intake in people with normal kidney function is also effective in reducing blood pressure.

4. Limit Alcohol Intake

Quitting alcohol is an effective and proven way to lower blood pressure and reduce levels of a fat called triglycerides and the chances of heart failure. A 2021 study involving 3,71,463 people found that alcohol use contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of how much is consumed.

5. Quit Smoking

Smoking damages nearly every organ of the human body. Besides having a direct impact on hypertension, chemicals in tobacco smoke can also increase the chance of heart problems and cardiovascular diseases.

Apps To Keep Hypertension Under Control

While there are no specific apps that can decrease blood pressure, both the Play Store and App stores have several applications that can help monitor a person’s health. These can include apps to track BP on your phone, apps to monitor sleep, apps to eat a healthy diet, apps to stay fit, and apps for meditation to reduce stress. There are many ways that a person can effectively use the above tech and apps to boost their overall well-being and health. After all, if a person can order takeaways and taxis at the tap of a button, these apps too can make a difference in your well-being journey, with the same minimal effort.

Key Takeaways

1. Regular exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues and helps the cardiovascular system to function properly, keeping hypertension under control.
2. A good, well-balanced diet can protect a person against many chronic non-communicable diseases, including heart diseases and diabetes. It is a good idea to follow a DASH diet that essentially involves consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats and reducing the intake of saturated fats, processed foods and total fats.
3. When a person consumes too much of sodium, present in large quantities in packaged and restaurant food, the human body retains more fluid. This leads to high blood pressure and also increases the risk of kidney, heart, and brain damage.
4. A 2021 study involving 3,71,463 people found that alcohol use contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of how much is consumed. Hence, it is best to restrict the consumption of alcohol, if not  avoid it altogether.
5. Besides having a direct impact on hypertension, chemicals in tobacco smoke can also increase the chance of heart problems and cardiovascular diseases.
6. While there are no specific apps that can decrease blood pressure, both the Play Store and App stores have several applications that can help monitor a person’s health. These can include apps to track BP on your phone, apps to monitor sleep, apps to eat a healthy diet, apps to stay fit, and apps for meditation to reduce stress.

Open up like never before and participate in conversations about beauty, entrepreneurship, mental health, menstrual & sexual health, and more. Desi women, join our community NOW!