Hypertension

Hypertension Control

Dave Elger, M.A.

Objectives

y What is high blood pressure?
y What causes high blood pressure?
y What does it do to the body?
y Recommendations for lifestyle change
y Tips for healthy eating

What is Blood Pressure?
y The force of blood against the wall of
the arteries.
y Systolic- as the heart beats
y Diastolic - as the heart relaxes
y Normal Blood pressure

(<120 mm Hg and <80 mm Hg)

High Blood Pressure (HBP) Facts
y A consistent blood pressure of 140/90 mm
Hg or higher is considered HIGH.

y An estimated 65 MILLION of adult
Americans over 18 yrs old have it (31%)

y 62% of Americans over 55 yrs of age have it

y At age 55, 9 out of 10 of those with normal BP
will eventually develop HBP

New Category for Blood Pressure

Pre Hypertension
y Between 120/80 and 139/89 mm/Hg

(>140/90 is considered high)

Risk of cv disease starts to rise at blood pressures
over 115/75 mm/Hg and doubles with each increment
of 20/10 mg Hg!

Detection of “the silent killer”
(often there are no symptoms)

y 2 or more readings of 140/90mm Hg or
higher taken on more than one
occasion.

Tips for assessing an accurate
blood pressure (you don’t
want to be misdiagnosed!)
y Don’t eat, exercise, drink coffee or smoke
cigarettes for 1 hr. before.
y Empty your bladder.
y Sit relaxed for five minutes with back
supported and feet flat on the ground.
y Your arm should be supported and even with
your heart when tested
y Make sure the correct cuff size is used (generally
arm circumference > 13” requires a large cuff)
y Wear short sleeves so your arm is exposed.

Risk Factors for HBP
y Sedentary Lifestyle (couch y Family History
potato) y African-American
y Poor Diet y Some sports/weight
y Aging- vessels lose loss supplements or
elasticity (> 60 yrs age) medications (cold
y Tobacco, alcohol, caffeine medications,
y Obesity/Overweight antihistamines)
y Sleep Apnea
y Oral Contraceptives
y Stress (type “A”
y Male sex
personality)

How Does HBP Effect the Body?

y Can cause a break in a weakened blood
vessel which then bleeds in the brain.

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The Heart

y High Blood Pressure (HPB) is a major
risk factor for heart attack.
y HBP is the number one risk factor for
congestive heart failure.

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The Kidneys

y Kidneys act as filters to rid the body of
wastes.
y High blood pressure can narrow and
thicken the blood vessels.
y Waste builds up in the blood, can result
in kidney damage.
1 in 9 Americans (20 million) have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
another 20 million are at risk -National Kidney Foundation

The Eyes
Hypertensive retinopathy

y Can eventually cause blood vessels to
break and bleed in the eye.
y Swelling of the optic nerve, retina
damage
y Can result in blurred vision or even
blindness.

-What can you do to prevent or
reduce high blood pressure?

1. Exercise
y Low to moderate intensity
cardiovascular improves blood flow
and keeps vessels elastic and healthy
y Heart becomes a stronger more efficient
pump
in
late 30 m
Accumu he
most days of t
week
If you already have HBP, you can
expect an ave. drop of 10 mm Hg

2. Quit Tobacco
y Smoking injures the walls of blood
vessels accelerating hardening of the
arteries.
y Smokeless tobacco contains high levels
of sodium
y Both constrict or “squeeze” arteries

3. Decrease your intake of
sodium and increase potassium

y Humans evolved on a low sodium, high
potassium diet.
y Today’s modern diet is high in sodium
and low in potassium.

Watch out for Hidden Sodium
AMOUNT OF SODIUM
y 3000 mg Frozen pizza (3 slices)
y 1213 mg Taco Bell Dbl Burrito supreme
(beef)
y 1500 mg KFC Original recipe
y 1213 mg BK Whopper w/cheese
y 1070 mg McDonald’s Big Mac
y 890 mg 1 can Campbell’s chicken
noodle soup

Check your food labels
<2,300 mg/day is recommended

•5% daily value or less is low
•20% daily value or more is
high

Eat More Potassium Rich Foods

y Banana y Broccoli
y Tomato y Corn
y Orange juice y Cucumbers
y Spinach y Dates/raisins
y Cantaloupe y Most salt water fish
y Dried beans
y Brussells Sprouts

y Almonds
y Grapefruits

4. Get 1,000 mg Calcium
Studies indicate low calcium may contribute to high bp

Mgs. of Calcium
y ¾ cup Total Cereal 1,000 mg
y 1 cup skim milk 300
y 1 oz. Swiss cheese 270
y 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt 400
y 3 oz sardines canned 220
y 8 oz orange juice 350
y 3 oz. shrimp, canned 145

5. Try the DASH Diet (Dietary
Approach to Stop Hypertension)
y Diet rich in fruits and vegetables found
effective in clinical study on reducing
high blood pressure

DASH Results
y BP starting dropping within days FOR
those put on a diet low in fat and high
in fruits and veggies (ave 11 systolic
and 5.5 diastolic points)!

y "The beauty of DASH is that it doesn't take a genius
to follow," says Norman Kaplan, a hypertension
expert at the University of Texas Health Sciences
Center in Dallas. "You just cut the fat, double your
fruits and vegetables, and use low-fat dairy
products."

DASH EATING PLAN
y 7-8 daily servings grains & grain products
y 4-5 daily servings of vegetables
y 4-5 daily servings of fruits
y 2-3 daily servings of low fat dairy
y 2 or less daily servings of meat
y 4-5 servings per week of nuts, seeds, beans
y 2-3 daily servings of fats and oils
y 5 servings of sweets weekly

6. Moderate Alcohol Intake (1-2
drinks)
Alcohol raises blood pressure and can
harm liver, brain, and heart
What counts as a drink?
y 12 oz beer
y 5 oz of wine
y 1.5 oz of 80 proof whiskey

7. Maintain Healthy Weight

y Blood pressure rises as weight rises.
y Obesity is also a risk factor for heart
disease.
y Even a 10 lb weight loss can reduce
blood pressure.

8. Supplements to AVOID!
y Any supplement advertised to speed up
metabolism, burn fat, or lose weight
should be avoided!
y Some reports of creatine elevating BP

9. Other Treatment

y If Lifestyle Modification is not
working, blood pressure medication
may be needed (i.e. diuretics, beta
blockers, ace inhibitors)

Summary: Tips for lowering
high blood pressure
y Regular cardiovascular exercise is a must!
y Quitting tobacco is also a must!
y Reduce sodium and increase potassium
y Increase your intake of calcium from low-fat sources
y Follow the high fiber DASH Diet (lots of fruit and
veggies).
y Use alcohol in moderation only.
y If you are overweight, losing fat can help
significantly!
y Avoid performance-enhancing supplements!
y Take your medication if required!

About Dave Elger

y Dave holds a bachelor’s degree from
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens
Point and a master’s degree from Ball
State University in exercise physiology.
He can be contacted at
elgerdh@mail.com.

Hypertension

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