American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [336]
• Cut down on salt. Most Americans take in more sodium than they need. Excess salt causes your body to retain water, which raises blood volume and therefore blood pressure. If you are salt-sensitive, which means that your blood pressure rises when you eat salt, eating less salt—no more than 1 teaspoon per day—will benefit your health.
• Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol will raise your blood pressure temporarily and, over time, may also lead to high blood pressure. Limit yourself to one drink a day if you are a woman or two drinks a day if you are a man. A drink is defined as 1½ ounces of 80-proof liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer.
• Do not use tobacco. Smoking puts you at risk of developing high blood pressure or having a heart attack or stroke. Smoking also worsens a person’s cholesterol profile, which is a factor in heart disease. Chemicals in smokeless tobacco can also raise blood pressure. (For helpful tips on how to quit smoking, see page 29.)
Other factors that may help prevent high blood pressure in some people include:
• Potassium Having an adequate level of potassium in the body may help prevent high blood pressure by balancing the amount of sodium in the body. Good sources of potassium include fresh fruits and vegetables (especially bananas, oranges, melons, and potatoes), low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and fish. Do not take potassium supplements unless your doctor recommends them. Too much potassium can cause an irregular heartbeat.
• Calcium Too little calcium in the diet may lead to high blood pressure (as well as weak bones). You can get the calcium you need—1,200 to 1,500 milligrams per day for adults—from low-fat and fat-free dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, and green leafy vegetables. Doctors do not recommend taking calcium supplements to help prevent high blood pressure.
• Magnesium A diet low in magnesium may increase blood pressure. The best sources of magnesium are whole grains, green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, and dried peas and beans. Doctors do not recommend taking magnesium supplements to help prevent high blood pressure.
Q & A
High Blood Pressure
Q. My friend said that her doctor told her she could stop taking her medication for high blood pressure. She did it by losing only 10 pounds and exercising more. How can that be?
A. Even a weight loss of as few as 10 pounds can help lower blood pressure. Exercise is also a proven blood-pressure reducer. As long as your friend keeps her weight at a healthy level by eating a nutritious, low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables and by exercising regularly, she should be able to continue to control her blood pressure without medication. However, she needs to continue to have her blood pressure measured to make sure it is staying at a healthy level.
Q. Why is it taking so long to find the right combination of medications to control my high blood pressure?
A. Blood pressure is a highly complex biochemical process that is influenced by many different factors. Because your body is a unique biological system, it will not respond in exactly the same way to a particular medication as another person’s system will. An antihypertensive medication or combination of medications that works for one person may not work for another. Until drugs are developed that can be tailored to our unique genetic makeup, finding the right medication will continue to be a matter of trial and error. I’m sure your doctor will soon find a medication that is effective for you.
• Fish oils Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fat found in fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon. These oils help protect the lining of arteries, prevent irregular heart rhythms, and reduce the formation of blood clots. Eating fish two or more times a week can also help reduce high blood pressure and improve your cholesterol profile.
• Fat and cholesterol To help prevent heart disease, limit the amount of fat in your diet, especially the saturated fat found in foods such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products. Too much saturated