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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. 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

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. 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 or rice, or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro, or cassava), legumes (lentils, beans), vegetables, fruit are all essential components of a good and healthy diet.

3. Reduce Sodium In Your Diet

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. 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

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. 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.

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