A lack of physical activity is linked to high blood pressure, and being more active will lower your blood pressure. Whether you have high blood pressure or want to prevent it, it's never too late to start.
One-third of the high school, college and professional athletes who were screened by the Stanford sports cardiology clinic register as having high blood pressure, Stanford researchers have found. These people are young and fit, with exercise habits that put the rest of us to shame.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
Lack of physical activity. High-sodium diet. Heavy alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day) Stress.
For those who have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring blood pressure down to safer levels. Some examples of aerobic exercise that can help lower blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Another possibility is high-intensity interval training.
Therefore, we concluded that athletes and well-trained people are more likely to have lower blood pressure, which is related to better cardiovascular health and better performance.
If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid physical activity that requires sudden bursts of activity or strain as these may increase the risk of arterial rupture, heart attack, or stroke. Activities to avoid include weight lifting, playing squash, and sprinting, as well as skydiving and SCUBA diving.
As a general guide: ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher. low blood pressure is considered to be below 90/60mmHg.
While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is important for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians.
Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in blood pressure.
It's normal for systolic blood pressure to rise to between 160 and 220 mm Hg during exercise. Unless you've cleared it with your doctor, stop exercising if your systolic blood pressure surpasses 200 mm Hg. Beyond 220 mm Hg, your risk of a heart problem increases.
Hypertension's effects on blood vessels affect non-vital organs too: It can result in blindness or other vision problems, and can contribute to erectile dysfunction in men. People who have normal blood pressure at age 50 live about 5 years longer than people with hypertension at 50, according to a 2005 study.
Reactions to stress can affect blood pressure
These actions increase blood pressure for a time. There's no proof that stress by itself causes long-term high blood pressure. But reacting to stress in unhealthy ways can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood pressure is mostly a silent disease
Unfortunately, high blood pressure can happen without feeling any abnormal symptoms. Moderate or severe headaches, anxiety, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, palpitations, or feeling of pulsations in the neck are some signs of high blood pressure.
Insomnia is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Over time, poor sleep can also lead to unhealthy habits that can hurt your heart, including higher stress levels, less motivation to be physically active, and unhealthy food choices.
It's important to remember that high blood pressure is not usually a death sentence. As long as you're regularly working with your doctor on treatment and managing your blood pressure levels, you will likely live a long life. This includes making significant changes to your health and lifestyle for the better.
High blood pressure can cause many complications. High blood pressure (hypertension) can quietly damage the body for years before symptoms develop. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to disability, a poor quality of life, or even a deadly heart attack or stroke.
Genetics and Family History
Genes likely play some role in high blood pressure, heart disease, and other related conditions. However, it is also likely that people with a family history of high blood pressure share common environments and other potential factors that increase their risk.
High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking.
In fact, your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases. Losing even 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure—and losing weight has the biggest effect on those who are overweight and already have hypertension. Overweight and obesity are also risk factors for heart disease.
Even if you do not have hypertension by age 55 to 65, your lifetime risk for developing it is a whopping 90 percent. “But doctors no longer consider hypertension inevitable or untreatable with age,” says Samuel Durso, M.D., director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins.
Cardiovascular, or aerobic, exercise can help lower your blood pressure and make your heart stronger. Examples include walking, jogging, jumping rope, bicycling (stationary or outdoor), cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, high- or low-impact aerobics, swimming, and water aerobics.
Strength training can be good for your blood pressure, too. But don't lift heavy weights. Learn from a pro what you need to do, and don't hold your breath. “Always use lower resistances and higher repetitions, and always exhale on muscle exertion,” Bryant says.
Blood pressure typically drops in the late afternoon and evening. Blood pressure is usually lower at night while sleeping. The blood pressure measurement at night is called nocturnal blood pressure.