Hypertension is now a very common chronic disease. According to statistics from the National Health Service around one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. In England, 31% of men and 26% of women have high blood pressure

The causes of high blood pressure mostly come from bad habits in modern life, such as eating too much salt, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking, etc. Although high blood pressure itself is asymptomatic, it may lead to complications such as stroke, heart disease, heart failure or kidney disease.

Therefore, in addition to controlling blood pressure through antihypertensive drugs, changes in lifestyle habits also play a very important role in improving hypertension. The following article will provide you with 5 ways to help lower blood pressure.

1. Establish a healthy eating plan
   Patients with high blood pressure must reduce their salt intake. The Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends that the total daily sodium intake of adults should not exceed 2,400 mg (i.e. 6 grams of salt); in addition, if the salt intake can be reduced to less than 6 grams, blood pressure It can reduce 2~8mmHg (millimeters of mercury), which is equivalent to the effect of taking one long-acting antihypertensive drug every day. This means that a salt-reduced diet can effectively reduce high blood pressure.
   
   In addition, patients with high blood pressure are advised to implement the DASH diet (literally “dietary method to stop high blood pressure”). The DASH diet is characterized by high potassium, high magnesium, high calcium, high dietary fiber, low saturated fat, low trans fat and cholesterol. The main content is to eat more fruits and vegetables, low-fat foods, and consume less fat, especially trans fat. formula fat. Therefore, before purchasing food, it is recommended to read labels carefully and choose foods with the lowest sodium content.
   
2. Develop exercise habits
   In addition to helping lower blood pressure, exercise can also solve many related health problems at the same time. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure should consult their doctors to discuss the appropriate type and intensity of exercise. Generally speaking, doctors will recommend patients with high blood pressure to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day or several times a week. However, different types of exercise and intensity require different times. Among them, aerobic exercise such as brisk walking is most suitable for people with high blood pressure. The patient performs.
   
3. Maintain a healthy weight
   Maintaining a healthy weight can help control your blood pressure and reduce the incidence of other diseases. If you are overweight or obese, it is recommended to start losing weight. Losing weight can improve blood pressure and reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, commonly known as bad cholesterol). At the same time, during exercise and weight loss, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, commonly known as good cholesterol) will increase. In addition, you can also measure your body mass index (BMI) to understand whether your posture is within the standard and how to improve it.
   
4. Limit alcohol consumption
   The more alcohol your body consumes, the higher your body’s concentration of triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood, will be. The high calorie content of alcohol can also cause you to gain weight. To avoid worsening of high blood pressure, drink less alcohol. According to the NHS daily alcohol intake recommendations, men should not drink more than 2 cans of 330ml beer (about 20g of pure alcohol) per day, and women should not drink more than 1 can of beer (about 10g of pure alcohol).
   
5. Relieve stress at the right time
   Stress has a negative impact on the body and mind, and can also cause blood pressure to rise. Find ways to relieve stress that suit you, such as listening to music, exercising, and meditating. Yoga or Tai Chi can help regulate breathing, relieve anger, and fatigue, and maintain inner peace.
   
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