Ten Tips to Help You Control Your High Blood Pressure
- Make sure your blood pressure is under 140/90 mm Hg. If your
systolic pressure (the top number) is over 140, ask your doctor
what you can do to lower it.
- Take your high blood pressure medicine, if prescribed, every
day. If you have questions, talk to your doctor.
- Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese,
carrying this extra weight increases your risk of high blood
pressure. One way to determine if you need to lose weight is to
find out your body mass index or BMI. If your BMI is above the
healthy range (i.e., 25 or greater), or if your waist measurement
is greater than 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) you probably
have excess abdominal weight and you may benefit from weight loss
especially if you have other risk factors. Talk to your doctor to
see if you are at increased risk for high blood pressure and need
to lose weight.
- Increase your physical activity. Do at least 30 minutes of
moderate activity, such as walking, most days of the week. You can
do 30 minutes in three 10-minute segments.
- Choose foods low in salt and sodium. Most Americans should
consume no more than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams) of sodium a day.
That equals 6 grams, about one teaspoon of table salt a day. For
someone with high blood pressure, the doctor may advise less.
- Read nutrition labels. Almost all packaged foods contain
sodium. Every time you prepare or eat a packaged food, know how
much sodium is in one serving.
- Keep a sodium diary. You may be surprised at how much sodium
you consume each day and the diary will help you decide which
foods to decrease or eliminate.
- Use spices and herbs instead of salt to season the food you
prepare at home.
- Eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy foods.
- If you consume alcohol at all, consume moderate amounts. For men, this is less than two 12 oz servings of beer, or two 5 oz glasses of wine, or two 1 oz servings of "hard" alcohol a day. Women or lighter weight people should have no more than a single serving of any one of these beverages in a given day.
Reprinted from the NHLBI: National High Blood Pressure Educcation Program
