Lifestyle changes are always the first step to managing cholesterol, but it can be hard. Cholesterol itself isn’t likely to cause you any major symptoms until it contributes to a major event, like a heart attack or stroke. If you can’t feel something’s wrong, it can be hard to motivate yourself to change your life and the things you enjoy.

The key thing to remember is that you do want to be healthy. This isn’t nothing. High cholesterol levels can cause serious health problems in the long term. If you want to stick around for a while to enjoy your time with friends and family and to make the most of your life, this is something that deserves your attention.

Also, a lifestyle designed to lower cholesterol doesn’t have to be all about deprivation. In fact, it’s better if it isn’t. Yes, some types of cholesterol are bad for you (LDL), but don’t forget there’s good cholesterol (HDL), too. The best diet is the one that increases your HDL while lowering your LDL.

So, you may need to cut back a bit on the cheese and the butter, but you’re not necessarily going to have to give them up completely. As with many aspects of diet, sometimes the overall amount isn’t as important as the balance. You still need all the nutrients essential to your survival, which means eating a wide range of foods.

Start small. If you’re lucky, you’ll only need tiny lifestyle changes to bring your cholesterol under control. If that doesn’t work, maybe you’ll need to get stricter, but it’s still not time to despair. And if the lifestyle changes aren’t enough on their own and you end up needing medication, well, you’re not the only one. It’s not a sign of failure. Everyone’s different when it comes to what works or doesn’t work.

Motivation to tackle your cholesterol isn’t that different from motivating yourself for other tasks. Set yourself achievable goals, go one step at a time, make sure there are people supporting you, and reward yourself for doing well. You can do it!

The post The Lifestyle Choices appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

You always want any exercise to be as effective as possible. For your performance to be at its best, you need to be targeting it toward the goals you’re trying to achieve. In the case of cholesterol, you want to see your LDL, or bad cholesterol, drop and/or increase your HDL, or good cholesterol. When you’re planning what activities to do, that’s going to be a primary consideration.

Aerobic exercise is the kind that gets you out of breath and makes your heart pump faster. The most obvious kinds are things like running and cycling. Evidence suggests this is good for the balance between your LDL and HDL. It’s effective when you’re performing at moderate intensity, but if you manage to increase your intensity over an extended and ongoing period of time, it can work even better.

For those of you who don’t enjoy or physically struggle with the more movement-based forms of exercise, resistance training can be a viable alternative. This is more about building your strength by pushing or pulling against either your own body or some form of external weight. This is a good way to lower your total cholesterol, with the level of effectiveness again changing depending on the volume and intensity of the exercise.

Most advice on keeping fit will tell you to combine a mix of strength training and aerobic exercise, along with activities to improve your mobility. It’s a combination of everything that keeps you at your best in terms of overall health. That goes for your cholesterol as well. Most sports require you to work on every part of your body if you want to achieve maximum performance.

There are still other things you need to take into account when planning your workouts, like avoiding injury. Exercising too much can cause damage. Nevertheless, considering the value to your body of a healthy cholesterol level, it’s certainly something you need to be thinking about with any fitness routine. That’s how you’re at your best.

The post Types Of Exercise appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

A study that investigated systolic and diastolic blood pressure figures in adults from 2001 and 2008 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21485611/) recorded that women’s average blood pressure increased from 110/68 when they were aged 18 to 39 to 122/74 when they were aged 40 to 59 and 139/68 once they were over 60. For men, it went from 119/70 to 124/77 and 133/69 over the same period.

It’s not always entirely clear why blood pressure tends to increase with age. It may be because your blood vessels become stiff, or because of a buildup of fatty deposits hindering blood flow. When the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute launched an education program in the 1970s, people started being more careful with their blood pressure and seeking treatment, causing rates to fall. Now, however, with increasing life expectancies and changing lifestyles, it has since risen again, a trend that seems likely to continue.

With that said, there’s still a balancing act to try to achieve when managing age-related blood pressure changes. Something called orthostatic (postural) hypotension, when low blood pressure makes you feel dizzy when you stand up, can also become more common when you’re older. You need your blood pressure low enough to avoid heart attacks but high enough to avoid the light-headedness of orthostatic hypotension.

As with many things, the best thing you can do to avoid high blood pressure before medical intervention is needed is change your lifestyle. Less salt, more vegetables. Less alcohol, more exercise. That will also have an impact on the other side effects of aging, from the physical and the cosmetic to the mental and emotional.

The other important thing to do is check your blood pressure. Hypertension rarely shows significant symptoms, so the only way to see if it’s in the danger zone is to measure it. If you’re in an at-risk group, such as because you’re older, your doctor will want to take a look pretty regularly. You can also buy a machine to measure it at home and be certain.

The post The Effect Of Aging appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

When the pulmonary arteries thicken and become stiff, it means there’s less room for blood to travel through them. That means your heart has to work harder, which could weaken it over time, sometimes even to the point of heart failure.

There are five main types of pulmonary hypertension. They vary depending on whether they’re caused by problems in the arteries, the heart, the lungs or blood clots. There’s also a specific kind that can affect newborn babies.

Amongst these different types, there are a range of possible causes, including various other diseases and disorders affecting other organs and parts of the body, as well as certain drugs. Rare forms may have a genetic component or even appear with no obvious underlying cause.

Like regular hypertension, pulmonary hypertension doesn’t always show symptoms. In other cases, you may experience dizziness, tiredness and shortness of breath. It’s also associated with heart palpitations, chest pain and swelling in the lower limbs and joints. This can be a life-limiting condition that prevents you exercising properly or conducting normal daily activities.

You’re more likely to develop pulmonary hypertension if you have other heart or lung conditions, and its symptoms may look similar to those of other heart and lung conditions. This can make diagnosis tricky. You may have to have an echocardiogram to scan your heart or a right heart catheterization to insert a tube into your artery.

Unfortunately, like other forms of high blood pressure, there’s no cure for pulmonary hypertension. Luckily, it can be managed, especially if you catch it early. Medicine to stop the blood from thickening or clotting (called anticoagulants) can help, as can diuretics that remove excess fluid. If another condition is causing your pulmonary hypertension, you need to treat that first.

You probably don’t need to be as aware of pulmonary hypertension as you do other kinds because it is rare, but it’s still helpful to know what to look out for in case you develop symptoms. The quicker it can be identified and treated, the better your long-term prospects will be.

The post Pulmonary Hypertension appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

Everything living thing is made up of cells. They’re the basic unit of life. One human body contains trillions and trillions, each including a membrane that surrounds the inner cytoplasm. It’s the membrane’s job to protect the cell while also allowing important molecules to travel in and out.

We describe how resistant the membrane is with the term “membrane fluidity”. The membrane has to be flexible to allow different molecules through. As the degree of fluidity changes, so does the way the proteins and other molecules in the cell work. In short, it helps control some of our most basic biological functions.

So what does cholesterol have to do with this? Well, your cell membranes are about 30 percent cholesterol. It’s what builds them up, maintains them, and then adjusts the fluidity when necessary. Thanks to cholesterol, the cell membrane remains strong, but it is still flexible enough to allow change and movement.

Membrane fluidity is also heavily affected by temperature. When the temperature rises, the cholesterol pulls parts of the membrane closer together so it is more rigid. If the temperature goes back down, the cholesterol loosens the phospholipids in the membrane and it will become more fluid.

Temperature changes could cause the cell membrane to stop functioning properly. In these cases, cholesterol has a stabilizing effect. It means the cell continues working even when the surrounding circumstances change. It might be very technical biological stuff, but it’s very important.

So flexibility isn’t just something that applies to your joints. It’s any part of your body being able to move and adjust rather than staying fixed. It’s an essential part of being able to adapt to all the different situations your body might find itself in. And in the case of your cell membrane, it means that you need cholesterol to adjust to temperature changes and keep different molecules moving in and out of the cell.

Don’t just dismiss cholesterol because of all the warnings about its dangers. Take time to appreciate its uses as well.

The post Cell Membrane Fluidity appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

Take high blood pressure. It is entirely possible to go through life unaware you have high blood pressure. You might not find out until you have a heart attack or stroke or one of the other serious and sometimes even life-threatening conditions that become more likely when you have hypertension.

That’s why doctors like to take your blood pressure fairly regularly, especially if you’re in a high-risk category for hypertension (like if you’re over 65). It’s the only way to be absolutely certain that your blood pressure is higher than it should be and that you need to take steps to manage it.

Hypertension isn’t always completely without symptoms. It can cause some dizziness and shortness of breath. You may experience blurred vision, headaches or chest pain. Sometimes you may have a nosebleed. Of course, most of these are fairly generic symptoms that can be associated with a range of conditions or even be part of the day-to-day aches and pains that everyone experiences sometimes.

Luckily, the steps to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure are simple, and they’re likely to improve your general health and mood even if there’s no obvious connection to your blood pressure. The kind of lifestyle changes that are your first defense against hypertension should be part of any attempt to achieve a long and high-quality life.

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Don’t eat as much salt or drink as much alcohol. Stop smoking, and try to lose weight. Make sure you get enough sleep and sufficient exercise. If these things sound familiar, it’s because they’re part of pretty much every piece of health advice you’re ever likely to receive.

You might not be able to tell if your blood pressure is improving without seeing your doctor again, but you will be able to tell if you’re losing weight and building muscle if you’ve got more energy and your mood is brighter. These are all welcome side effects of a healthy lifestyle. Even if you can’t see what’s wrong, you can take steps to feel better.

The post A Hidden Condition appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

There’s a big genetic component to high blood pressure. If your parents had it, it’s more likely you will, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Things like stress and poor diet don’t help, however, and those are factors you may be able to control. There are steps you can take before you reach 65, the age at which your likelihood of having hypertension dramatically increases.

You may be wondering why high blood pressure is such a concern if it doesn’t have symptoms in its own right. Does the fact that it currently sits at 140/90 instead of 120/80 actually make a big difference to your overall health? The answer is yes.

If you have hypertension, you’re at a bigger risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. You could also develop other heart problems, kidney disease or even vascular dementia. Aortic aneurysms also become more likely. It generally means a lot more strain on your body’s organs and blood vessels, from the eyes to the kidneys and all that’s in between. You may develop any of these conditions without high blood pressure, but if you do have hypertension, the danger is increased.

So, what should you do? Some of the most obvious steps you can take (excuse me if you’ve heard this before) are to stop smoking and reduce your alcohol intake. These are both major factors in increasing your risk of hypertension. Eating a healthy, balanced diet without too much salt and making sure to exercise regularly are also important, helping you lose weight while improving heart health. High blood pressure has been associated with obesity.

These sorts of lifestyle changes are generally the starting point for either reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure or helping lower it again if it is already creeping up too high. If these adjustments prove ineffective, you may have to try medication. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best course of treatment for your personal circumstances.

Some of the most common hypertension medications are what are known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. There are also angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB). Other options include diuretics, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. Some of these medications may even need to be taken in combination, depending on your specific situation. You generally need to take them at least once a day.

When it comes to knowing if you have high blood pressure or not, the only way to find out is to have it measured. You can buy blood pressure monitors to use at home if you’re worried, or a doctor or nurse can do it as part of a regular checkup. It certainly explains why measuring your blood pressure is so often part of a medical appointment, even if it doesn’t seem obviously related to the reason for your visit.

The post High Blood Pressure appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

To start, let’s discuss what cholesterol actually is and what it does in the body. It’s a type of fat generally found in the blood. It helps build and maintain cell membranes, contributes to signaling between cells and regulates various bodily processes. The body can produce its own cholesterol, but we can also receive it from our diet.

Foods that are rich in cholesterol are often the same ones that are heavy in saturated fat, which you may recognize as another food group you should avoid. This includes dairy products like butter and cheese, various types of fatty meat, and snacks like cakes and cookies. Smoking and too much alcohol can also raise your cholesterol levels, as can not getting enough exercise.

Why do we need to worry about high cholesterol? It doesn’t have any symptoms in its own right, so you might think it’s safe to ignore. The problem is that high cholesterol can also contribute to other, more serious medical conditions. If cholesterol increases until it blocks the arteries, it could cause a stroke. It can also lead to heart attacks and other heart problems.

The best way to find out if your cholesterol is too high is with a blood test. This may involve taking blood from your arm, but sometimes it can be done with just a light prick on your fingertip. Your doctor may recommend testing your cholesterol based on your age, weight, family history or if you suffer from other conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

There are different types of cholesterol. HDL is the good kind, which can actually reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes. LDL, or non-HDL, is the bad kind that you want to avoid, and there are also substances similar to bad cholesterol known as triglycerides that have a similar impact. Some cholesterol tests only measure your overall cholesterol, so you may want to check how much of it is bad or how much of it is good.

If your cholesterol is too high, your doctor or nurse will probably talk to you about ways to reduce it. This will start with lifestyle changes like cutting back on alcohol and smoking, as well as exercising more. You may try to replace high-cholesterol foods with low-cholesterol alternatives such as whole wheat bread and pasta or oily fish. It’s a good idea to increase your fruit and vegetable intake and eat more seeds and nuts.

Sometimes lifestyle changes on their own won’t be enough to reduce cholesterol. If these steps don’t work, you may need to try medication. The most common medicines for managing high cholesterol are statins. You take one a day and your body will start producing less cholesterol. Once you start taking statins, it’s likely you will remain on them for the rest of your life. If statins don’t work for you or you can’t take them for any reason, there are alternative medications available.

The post Dreaded But Necessary appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

High blood pressure is something that might come up in a regular medical checkup or be warned about in any article trying to convince you to eat better or exercise more. It’s a warning of what might happen if you don’t have a healthy lifestyle, leading to an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes. Luckily, there are lots of ways to try to control your blood pressure, so you don’t have to worry just yet.

Blood pressure is given as two numbers, the systolic first and the diastolic second. Systolic is the force of the blood being pumped through your body when the heart contracts, while diastolic is about resistance to blood flow between contractions. A figure of 120/80 is in the comfortable range. Once you’re over this level, you’re considered at risk of high blood pressure, but it’s not outright hypertension until you reach 140/90.

What causes blood pressure to rise to these high levels? Some contributing factors, such as your genes, can’t be avoided. Race and income can also be risk factors, with black men from lower socioeconomic backgrounds being the group most likely to experience hypertension. People over 65 are also at a greater risk.

Sometimes kidney disease or an endocrine disorder can lead to what’s called secondary hypertension. The rest, however, is heavily influenced by lifestyle. In particular, smoking, too much alcohol and too much salt can all cause problems. It has been associated with excess weight, lack of exercise and poor-quality sleep.

The danger of hypertension isn’t the high blood pressure itself; it’s the extra strain it puts on other parts of the body. Other serious conditions that can become more likely because of high blood pressure include heart attacks and heart disease, strokes, kidney disease and even vascular dementia and vision loss. It’s not a guarantee that you’ll suffer any of these things, but it can be a little worrying.

Luckily, as so many of the risk factors for high blood pressure are related to lifestyle, changing your lifestyle can reduce the danger. Stop smoking and reduce your alcohol consumption. Adjust your diet so it is more balanced, has less salt, and everything is consumed in moderation. Exercise more, and make sure you get enough sleep every night. Even these small things can cause your blood pressure to drop, and even a small drop in blood pressure can have a positive effect on your health.

If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, there are medications that can help control hypertension. There are lots of different types available, including ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBS), diuretics and beta blockers. Each has different advantages and disadvantages, and which will be recommended to you may depend on a range of factors including your age and the severity of your hypertension.

Hypertension can only be diagnosed by having your blood pressure tested, and regular checks are recommended. If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, there’s no need to panic. Just talk to your doctor about potential lifestyle changes and medication.

The post High Blood Pressure appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

For all the great things holidays bring us, there are some bad things, too. Stress, for one, goes up during this time, and so does overindulgence for many people. It’s these two factors combined that likely lead to the rise of heart incidents during and right after the holiday season. To keep everyone’s hearts healthy this season, here are some things to do.

Switch to potluck

Have your family dinners run as potlucks, with everyone bringing a dish. This prevents all the stress of the workload falling on one person, which can be immense for large gatherings.

Go easy on the alcohol

Excessive drinking can boost your blood pressure, and binge drinking can lead to an irregular heartbeat, which will increase your stroke and heart attack risks.

Keep it warm

Cold temperatures can be hard on your heart because they make the blood vessels constrict, which will raise your blood pressure. Lower temps also allow blood clots to form more easily, so avoid exposure to frigid weather and keep yourself layered up.

Get yourself moving

Talk a quick walk around the neighborhood to see the lights or follow along with a quick exercise video on the web. Exercise is good for your heart and also helps you let off stress.

Avoid high-stress situations

Get your to-do list down to a manageable size. No one can do everything, and there’s enough to do around the holidays as it is. When you put too much pressure on yourself, you’re also going to put pressure on your heart.

Pay attention to your health

Don’t ignore what your body needs or is telling you just because it’s the holidays and you have a lot to do or are traveling. Take any medications you are on as you should and pay attention to how you feel. If you think something could be wrong, don’t just write it off as holiday stress or a holiday cold. People sometimes confuse heart attacks with panic attacks or other less-serious ailments, so it’s better to be safe than sorry and get medical attention as soon as you decide something is going on.

The post Keeping Your Heart Safe During The Holidays appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

I’m willing to bet a pile of sugar that your calendar is just full of parties, get-togethers and other food-and-drink activities during the holiday season. It’s wonderful to get to spend extra time with friends and family during the season, and there’s obviously nothing wrong with a few cookies every now and then.

However, I do have to burst your bubble and remind you that it’s pretty common to go a bit overboard during this festive time, and it can lead to more trouble than just having some stomach problems or running off a sugar high. In fact, one potential side effect of overindulging during the holidays is known as “holiday heart syndrome,” and this can be pretty serious in some situations.

As noted in the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia medical journal, the term “holiday heart syndrome” was first coined by cardiologist Philip Ettinger in a 1978 study, during which he studied 24 patients who regularly drank but also had a weekend or holiday binge right before the study began. In that study, he found many patients had an arrhythmia he linked to alcohol that cleared up once the alcohol was out of the person’s system.

Today, this term is used to described a specific type of irregular heartbeat–atrial fibrillation (AFib)–that seems to pop up specifically during the holiday time. Common signs of AFib include shortness of breath, being lightheaded, irregular or racing heartbeat, chest pain and fatigue. If not treated, this condition to can lead to other complications, including heart failure, stroke and blood clots.

The holiday connection comes in because AFib tends to appear during this time due to the alcoholic drinks, salty appetizers and other not-so-healthy foods people consume in a larger quality than usual. Studies have shown that even a moderate intake of alcohol can increase a person’s risk of AFib, and when you are overindulging, the risk climbs higher. In addition to drink and food, the holiday season can bring less sleep and stress, too, both of which may increase AFib risk.

To avoid holiday heart, manage your stress, stay active, drink plenty of water and avoid binging on unhealthy drinks and foods. This is easier said than done, but it’s certainly worth it. You can still have a cookie, folks – just steer clear of the urge to eat the whole tray!

The post Be Wary Of Holiday Heart appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

Go for the gold

Curcumin, found in turmeric root and responsible for giving curry that yellow color, can help lower your “bad,” or LDL cholesterol. It can also boost your “good,” or HDL, cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of plaque in your arteries. Add turmeric powder to your tofu or nondairy milk or use the root in fresh juices. It is also a stellar addition to stews, soups and curries. Try getting in one teaspoon of turmeric powder each day into your diet to hit the recommended amount of curcumin. You can also try a supplement, but read the dosing instructions (this is typically 400 to 600 mg of extract three times a day) and consult with your doctor before taking.

Munch on magnesium

Magnesium has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels, as noted by WedMD (https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/diet-lowers-high-cholesterol). Studies have shown that lower levels of magnesium correlate with higher bad cholesterol levels. Generally, you want to get about 400 mg daily to get the positive effects, but you should start slowly and work your way up to avoid stomach upset. About one-fourth of a cup of pumpkin seeds along with a cup of spinach contains about 400 mg. Other solid magnesium sources include dark chocolate, bananas, beet greens, Swiss chard, black beans, figs, almonds and avocados, any of which can be added into your diet in a number of creative ways. Figs, for example, can be blended and mixed into yogurt, and you can add almonds to your favorite cereal.

Find the fiber

Soluble fiber will absorb your digestive tract fiber. So, when you eat soluble fiber, less bad cholesterol ends up moving around your body. Flax and chia are great sources of fiber, and you can add them to oatmeal, salad dressings, puddings, smoothies and even your applesauce. Other good fiber sources include oats, lentils, beans and strawberries.

The post 3 Quick Food Tips To Keep Your Levels Low appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

Your blood pressure is actually measured using two numbers. The lower is diastolic pressure and the upper is systolic pressure. Your blood pressure number is how doctors determine what stage of hypertension you may be in.

Normal blood pressure

Normal blood pressure means your reading is within a normal range of under 120/80 mm Hg. Keep in mind that blood pressure can change over time, so it’s important to have a healthy lifestyle and diet if you want to keep yourself at this stage.

Elevated blood pressure

When your systolic pressure is between 120 and 129 mm Hg and your diastolic pressure is under 80 mm Hg, your blood pressure is considered to be elevated. While you typically do not need medication in this range, being here can indicate you are now at risk of developing hypertension in the future. Here, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating better and exercising more may help reverse your course.

Stage 1 hypertension

When you have a blood pressure reading between 130/80 mm Hg and 139/89 mm Hg, you have stage one hypertension. If you are getting readings in this range, it’s best to talk to your doctor immediately for advice on steps to take to lower it. With blood pressure in this range, you may already have some minor damage to your vessels and arteries.

Stage 2 hypertension

A person with stage 2 hypertension has a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or more. You must seek medical help immediately if this applies to you. Your doctor may have you take medication and make serious changes to your lifestyle and diet.

You can maintain and control your hypertension by working with your doctor. Working out on a regular basis, eating a healthy diet and taking medication will allow you take control over your condition and help prevent a serious heart event.

The post The 4 Stages Of Hypertension appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

If you have been told you have high levels of cholesterol, it likely means you do not have enough HDL and too much LDL. Fortunately, you can take some steps to try to lower the bad guys and up the good guys at the same time!

Avoid those trans fats

This is probably advice you’ve heard time and time again because it’s one of the easiest things you can do: read nutritional labels on food. Here, you’ll find one of the worst things for your cholesterol levels: trans fats. Also known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, this sneaky ingredient is good for food manufacturers but not your health. It’s common in many processed foods and baked goods with shortening or margarine because it makes products last longer for easier shipping and storage.

Trans fats also increase your bad cholesterol level while lowering your good one, so it’s something to look out for every time you buy or consume a food product. Eliminate as much trans fat from your diet as you possibly can.

Aim for low-fat dairy

You don’t have to give up the foods you enjoy because you want to lower your bad cholesterol. Instead, you simply need to make smarter choices. For dairy, this is an area where going for the healthier alternative isn’t very difficult.

For your yogurt, cheese, cream and milk, stick to low-fat products over the traditional versions. If you’re feeling a little brave, try an alternative such as soy milk, too. You never know what you will like until you try it!

Making changes in your dairy choices is crucial if you want to get a handle on your cholesterol. Unfortunately, full-fat products have cholesterol and saturated fats in them in decent amounts, and you’ll need to avoid these types of fat and cholesterol-laden foods if you want to lower your LDL cholesterol levels.

The post How To Lower Your Cholesterol In A Natural Way appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.

Part of winning the battle against high blood pressure and detecting it before it has a devastating impact on your body is knowing what the risk factors are. Once you know the risk factors, you can make sure you pay the level of attention to your blood pressure that it deserves in your case.

How old you are

According to the Mayo Clinic, your high blood pressure risk increases as you get older (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410). High blood pressure is more commonly seen in men aged 63 and older, while it becomes more common for women to develop it after they turn 65.

Your family history

High blood pressure, for some genetic reasons, does run in families. So, if you’ve got close family members with it or a family history of it in general, you’re at an increased risk of developing it yourself.

Your current weight

When you weigh more, your body needs more blood to get nutrients and oxygen to your tissues. Because of this, your artery walls are under more pressure from the increased amount of blood flowing through your vessels.

Your physical activity levels

When a person isn’t active, they usually have a higher heart rate. Your heart is working more with each contraction when you have an increased heart rate, and this results in a stronger force on your arteries. Being physically inactive also boosts your odds of being overweight, another risk factor.

Your sodium levels

When you have too much salt, it will cause your body to retain fluid. To combat this effect, your blood pressure will go up.

Your drinking habits

Heavy drinking can really take a toll on your body, including your heart. Men who have more than two drinks daily and women who have more than one drink each day may see an impact on their blood pressure levels. Alcohol consumption should be moderate, which is defined as one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. One drink is roughly 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. If you drink something other than beer or wine, you can use online conversion charts to determine what one drink would be.

The post What Are Your Risk Factors? appeared first on Dr Asa Andrew.