Have you ever visited the doctor’s office and discovered your blood pressure was higher than you expected?
High Blood Pressure is a condition that can go unnoticed for many years. Although the real cause of high blood pressure is not known, your lifestyle choices can increase your risk for high blood pressure.
Unhealthy diet: A diet that is too high in sodium and too low in potassium puts you at risk for high blood pressure.
Physical inactivity: People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction and the stronger the force on your arteries.
Stress: High levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure. Stress-related habits such as eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol can lead to further increase in blood pressure.
Using tobacco: Not only does smoking or chewing tobacco immediately raise your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls as well. This can cause your arteries to narrow and increase your risk of heart disease.
Drinking too much alcohol: Having more than two drinks per day can cause hypertension. It activates your adrenergic nervous system, causing constriction of blood vessels and simultaneous increase in blood flow and heart rate.
Obesity: Being obese means having excess body fat. Being obese or overweight also means your heart must work harder to pump blood and oxygen around your body. Over time, this can add stress to your heart and blood vessels. Obesity is linked to higher “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to lower “good” cholesterol levels.
If you have high blood pressure and need to get it under control, or want to lose weight to avoid being at risk for high blood pressure in the future, Inspire Weight Loss Nutley can help you!
