How do you know if you have high blood pressure? Here are five signs that it’s not good

Hypertension is one of the cardiovascular diseases. Currently, it is one of the most common civilization diseases. In fact, we work on hypertension every day, risk factors are elements of our diet or everyday behavior. What should we pay attention to? Here are the five most important points.

1. It is estimated that at least one third of adult Poles have high blood pressure
2. Many of our daily habits affect the risk of high blood pressure.
3. The five most important ones are mentioned by EatThis, based on specific scientific research
4. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is very dangerous to our health. It is also a very insidious condition – many people are not even aware of the disease. – Hypertension often does not cause symptoms and is therefore known as the “silent killer”. This gives some people a false sense of security. They don’t understand why they have to try to lower their blood pressure, says cardiologist Luke Laffin.

We talk about hypertension when blood pressure values ​​are regularly or very often above 140/90 mmHg. – The blood pressure can become elevated for many reasons, including stress and exercise. You can have high blood pressure once or occasionally. That doesn’t mean you have high blood pressure yet, Laffin explains.

If you are wondering if you might have high blood pressure, take a look at your habits or symptoms. Many of them are associated with a high risk of this condition. The five most common are listed below.

Obesity

Being overweight or obese is strongly associated with high blood pressure. A 2014 study by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Australian University of Monash, research found that leptin, the ‘satiety hormone’ responsible for storing fat, can lead to an increase in blood pressure that occurs with weight gain.

– High blood pressure is a well-known consequence of obesity – says prof. Michael Cowley of Monash University. – Our study explains the mechanism behind this link. It showed that leptin, a hormone secreted mainly by fat cells, increases blood pressure, explains the physiologist.

Lack of physical activity

If you spend most of your time sitting and exercise rarely, it’s no surprise that you are at risk of high blood pressure. A 2015 study by Brazilian and Spanish scientists found that children who spend at least two hours a day in front of a screen have 30% greater risk of hypertension. On the other hand, lack of physical activity or activity lasting less than an hour a day increases the risk by 50%.

– Our study shows the scale of new cases of hypertension and the relationship between physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle and the risk of hypertension in children in Europe – said then the study co-author Augusto César F. de Moraes, a Brazilian researcher at the Universidad de Zaragoza.

Too much salt

Eating too much salt significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure for some people. Some diets can help, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet developed by scientists. It is considered a diet for hypertension, it is intended, inter alia, to reduce the amount of salt in food. Fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds and legumes play a major role in this diet.

“Take small steps towards a healthier diet every day,” says nutritionist Kate Patton. – Over time, you will start to feel better and lose weight, which will keep you motivated.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes adversely affects many areas of our health and causes high blood pressure, even if you do not smoke yourself.

– Avoid exposure to passive smoking, even if the smoker is no longer in the room – appeals prof. Byung Jin Kim of Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. – Our study of non-smokers shows that the risk of high blood pressure is higher with prolonged periods of secondhand smoke, even the lowest amounts are dangerous. The results show that it is imperative to avoid secondhand smoke completely in order to protect yourself from hypertension.

Drinking alcohol

Alcohol abuse is associated with the risk of high blood pressure. A 2019 study found that even moderate drinking (seven to 13 drinks a week) increased this risk by 53%.

“This could be a turning point for clinical practice as well as future research, education, and public health policies on alcohol consumption,” said Dr. Amer Aladin, a cardiologist at Wake Forest Baptist Health and lead author of the study. This is the first study to show that both heavy and moderate alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure.