How to lower high blood pressure in elderly
What is blood pressure and why is it important?
Your heart is responsible for pumping blood around your body, supplying it with fresh oxygen and the vital nutrients it needs to function efficiently. At the same time, your arteries work to carry blood away from the heart and your veins deliver it back. As our bodies get older, our blood vessels don’t stretch as a well as they once did and so they become more rigid. This can lead to high blood pressure and puts extra strain on the heart, making it work harder to pump blood throughout the body. In the UK alone, 16 million people suffer from high blood pressure and more than 5 million people have high blood pressure but don’t even know it!
When you have your blood pressure checked, you are given two numbers – the higher figure over the lower, but what do they mean?
- The higher number represents the pressure inside your arteries while your heart is pumping
- The lower figure represents the pressure when your heart is resting between each heartbeat
Similar to the water pipes you have at home, it is important for your blood to be under some pressure to ensure that it is flowing in a healthy manner
Consequently, if your blood pressure is raised, it can increase your risk of various health complications. High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for stroke, heart attack and heart disease which can give rise to premature deaths and preventable disabilities
What can you do?
High blood pressure doesn’t necessarily present any symptoms or make you feel different. You may have high blood pressure right now and not know it. That’s why if you are over 50 it is particularly important keep an eye on your blood pressure and get it checked regularly, so that you can get the right treatment and make any lifestyle changes to help lower your blood pressure
Getting your blood pressure checked provides an assessment of personal risk and hopefully the encouragement to make positive lifestyle changes if your numbers are high. There is nothing any of us can do to stop physical ageing, but the good news is that once you’ve had your reading checked, there are ways to slow down the process and lower the risk of high blood pressure
5 steps to lower blood pressure naturally
1. Get Active
One of the most effective ways to lower high blood pressure is to try and include exercise as part of your lifestyle. A regular workout can also help you to lose those excess pounds if you’re overweight! Shedding just a few pounds can help make a big difference to your blood pressure and overall health. Some easy to incorporate exercises include stretching or taking a nice stroll through the park!
2. Avoid salt
Try to cut down on processed foods, and in particular ones with high salt content. Processed foods contain lots of salt because it is a preservative, enhances flavour and keeps us coming back for more! Ready-meals, microwave dinners, canned and packet foods even cheese and some breakfast cereals are notoriously high in salt. It is also a good idea to cut back on salt when cooking. Stock cubes, soy sauce, sea salt, rock salt, even salt substitutes are all very high in salt. Ditch them and add flavour with pepper, herbs, spices, vinegar, mustard, garlic, chillies. Become a ‘Masterchef’ and experiment with new tastes and flavours!
3. Eat more fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables counteract high blood pressure, so aim for your 5-a-day. They are also packed with vitamins, fibre and antioxidants, essential for fighting off disease
4. Relax and unwind
Stress is a major cause of high blood pressure, so make sure you find the time to wind down! Eliminating stress from your lifestyle can also help your mind function better, heal your body faster and aids digestion
5. Quit smoking!
Similar to high blood pressure, smoking also causes your arteries to narrow which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you’re a smoker and have high blood pressure this can cause your arteries to narrow at a quicker rate – so ditch the habit!
Dietitian and health coach Andrew Wilson is nutritional advisor to Life Line Screening and is on-hand with expert advice. If you’re interested in taking more control of your health, visit www.lifelinescreening.co.uk for more information about health screenings.
