With weakened blood vessels, your body is vulnerable to risks such as vision loss, kidney problems, dementia, weakened bones, or heart failure. Moreover, age has a hand in these factors as well. With such, it’s only essential to understand its effects on your health and to take action through lifestyle changes.
Risk Factors
Although there are plenty of risk factors that make you vulnerable to hypertension, such as gender or family history, these chances heighten as you get older. As you get old, your body also ages with you. Your arteries get stiffer and weaker, causing your blood pressure to go higher than average. Moreover, unhealthy lifestyle habits during your younger years can also pile on.
Although you may not feel these habits now, they can be dangerous when ignored, as hypertension affects half of adults. Likewise, it often doesn’t cause signs of illness that you can feel, which is why it’s also called “the silent killer.”
As per the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 70% of adults ages 65 years and above have hypertension – with the number expected to heighten to 20% by 2050. By 2060, the number will nearly reach 20 million people in the United States.
To combat such, some drink extract herbs such as berberine (a substitute for metformin, an approved medication.) However, it’s best to consult your doctor and learn about berberine vs metformin before adding them to your diet routine. Doing so will help you gain professional insight into whether these medications will be good for you.
Lifestyle Changes
When preventing hypertension, medication won’t be your only friend. It’s best to let go of unhealthy drinking, eating, or sleeping habits and adopt a new one. Moreover, starting these changes early can also make a big difference in lowering your risks.
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
According to Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD, a doctor from the Mayo Clinic, drinking more than three drinks of alcohol in one day can immediately raise blood pressure. Likewise, repeated drinking can lead to long-term effects.
For women, four or more drinks within two hours is already considered excessive drinking. For men, five or more within two hours qualifies as the same. If you fit within this number or if you’re drinking one or two drinks a day, it’s best to cut back on the alcohol and switch to water. Alcohol contains calories that cause weight gain, which in turn becomes a risk factor for high blood pressure.
Exercise is Key
Any exercise keeps your arteries flexible, tightens blood vessels, and boosts your blood pressure – making it a great addition to anyone who wants to prevent hypertension. Moreover, it can help you lose a little weight if you’re heavy. Since excess weight can raise your blood volume and blood pressure, exercising can help maintain a healthy weight.
Change to a Nutritional Meal Plan
A nutritional meal plan should also be included in your lifestyle change. It’s best to eat foods rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium here, as these minerals help regulate blood pressure. You can find these in low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and dried beans.
On the other hand, it’s best to stay away from high amounts of sodium found in processed food. In a 2019 study, reducing sodium intake was found to decrease blood pressure, and it also helped lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, such a prolonged habit resulted in a relevant fall in blood pressure.
Get Proper Sleep
Sleep is vital for your body to recover. With good quality sleep, your body can control your hormones and manage your stress and metabolism. Likewise, those with irregular sleep patterns or sleep apnea are more at risk of developing hypertension.
Talk Regularly With Your Doctor
Lastly, it’s always best to check in with your doctor often. With their help, you can identify a suitable target blood pressure goal and develop a plan to reach it. You can also learn about the best lifestyle changes that fit your body type and family history. Additionally, visiting your doctor clears up any other health concerns.
Living With Hypertension
If you have hypertension, trying these lifestyle changes is not a bad idea. Moreover, these steps can help you stay committed to a healthier diet to control your blood pressure daily. In addition to changing your lifestyle, having a medication reminder system is a great option. Unlike a note on your refrigerator, you can always use electronic pill bottles as it alerts you when it’s time for your next dose.
Final Thoughts
Since aging comes naturally, it’s best to prepare our body for any risks or vulnerabilities that may come. Moreover, although adjusting to a new lifestyle is difficult, doing so will surely help you in the long run. So make sure that you stay on track with these lifestyle changes so that you can see a big difference.