Transcript - Healthy Weights Connection

Keeping your blood pressure in
check!
May 21, 2008
Presented by: Kimberly Reid
What is blood pressure?
 Blood pressure is the force exerted by the
circulating blood on the walls of the arteries.
 When the pressure cuff is used, the height of
mercury in a column is measured which
reflects the circulating pressure and therefore
is read in units of mmHg. However, mercury
is rarely used anymore.
Measuring your blood pressure
 Blood pressure can change throughout the
day and therefore you should measure at the
same time.
 If monitoring at home, a good time is right
after you wake up, before you do anything
else and your body is still at rest.
Reading your blood pressure
 Blood pressure is read as 2 numbers, systolic and
diastolic pressure.
 Systolic is the top number and is the maximum
pressure, which is when the heart contracts and
pumps blood into the arteries.
 Diastolic is the bottom number and is the minimum
pressure, which is when the heart is relaxed
between beats.
 Heart rate is the rate at which the blood is pumped
by the heart.
Reading your blood pressure
 Optimal values = less than 120/80 mmHg
 Pre-hypertensive = 120/80 – 139/89 mmHg
 Elevated (high) = greater than 140/90 mmHg
Hypertension
 Hypertension is a diagnosis of continually elevated
blood pressure.
 180/110 mmHg = hypertension
 160/100 – 179/109 = test again within 4 weeks, if
still high, hypertension
 140/90 – 159/99 = test again within 2 months, if
still high, hypertension
 120/80 – 139/89 = prehypertension, test again in 46 months
Hypertension
 If you have to return to recheck your blood
pressure, it is recommended to test at home a
few times in between visits to track the
trends.
 Sometimes people’s blood pressure is
elevated just from being in their physician’s
office, and therefore may be lower at home.
High blood pressure
 High blood pressure can be dangerous
because the heart is working harder than it
should be.
 Increased force of the blood can damage the
arteries, heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes.
 If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can
lead to heart disease, kidney disease, stroke,
or blindness.
High blood pressure
 Blood pressure increases with age and obesity,
therefore as we become an older and heavier
society, there will be more people with high blood
pressure.
 Blood pressure increases with high blood glucose.
People with Diabetes or those with high levels of
sugar in their blood have thicker blood and
therefore applies more pressure to the arteries.
High blood pressure
 Blood pressure increases with dietary salt
intake.
 High levels of sodium (salt) disturbs the
balance in the body and causes water to flow
into the blood stream, increasing the blood
volume and therefore the blood pressure.
 Can also be caused by excessive alcohol
consumption and sleep apnea.
Low blood pressure
 Can be caused from gravity (when you go from
sitting to standing).
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The gravity reduces the blood flow from the veins below
the heart back up to the heart.
There is then less blood to be pumped out in each
contraction and therefore lowering blood pressure.
 Can also be caused by infections, hemorrhage
(blood loss), toxins, or hormonal abnormalities.
Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Weight loss
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Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce blood
pressure as well as the need for medications.
A loss of 10kg or 22lbs can reduce systolic
pressure by 6mmHg and diastolic by 4.6mmHg
Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Sodium restriction
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Restrict to the upper limit of 2300mg/day (1 tsp salt)
Even better is the adequate intake level of 1500mg/day,
which has been shown to further reduce blood pressure.
Average sodium intake in the US is 4200mg for men and
3300mg for women. (limited Canadian statistics)
Lowers systolic pressure by 5–10mmHg and diastolic
pressure by 2–6 mmHg
Most significant in the elderly
Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Moderate alcohol consumption

Limit intake to no more than 2 standard
drinks/day with a maximum of 9 drinks/week for
women and 14 drinks/week for men
Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Moderate alcohol consumption

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Limit intake to no more than 2 standard
drinks/day with a maximum of 9 drinks/week for
women and 14 drinks/week for men
Standard drink = 13.6g alcohol
12 ounces of beer
 4 ounces of wine
 1.5 ounces of spirits
 Coolers often provide more than 1 standard drink

Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Be physically active

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Health Canada recommends a minimum of 60
minutes/day working up to a minimum of 30 minutes/day
of moderate to vigorous activity 4 days/week.
Moderate to vigorous activity includes biking, jogging,
swimming, hockey, basketball, and dancing
Include a variety of endurance, strength, and flexibility
exercises in your regular activity.
Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Quit smoking

Your blood pressure immediately and
temporarily spikes with every cigarette by about
5–10 mmHg
Non-pharmacological
recommendations
 Summary

Maintaining a healthy weight, following a diet
low in sodium, drinking alcohol in moderation,
and being physically active can all help to reduce
blood pressure but can also prevent high blood
pressure.
Pharmacological
recommendations
 If diagnosed with hypertension by your
family physician they may choose to
prescribe an anti-hypertensive medication.
DASH Diet
 Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
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Lower in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol
Higher in vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and low fat
dairy products
Moderate in meat, fish and poultry
Higher in nuts, seeds, and legumes
Rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium
Rich in protein and fiber
Lower in sodium
DASH Diet
 Grain products – 7-8 servings/day
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1 slice whole grain bread, ½ cup oatmeal, ½ cup whole
grain pasta
 Vegetables – 4-5 servings/day
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1 cup mixed greens salad, ½ cooked vegetables
Aim for at least 1 dark green and 1 orange vegetable/day
 Fruits – 5 servings/day
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1 medium fruit (tennis ball size), ½ cup canned fruit, ¼
cup dried fruits
DASH Diet
 Low fat or non-fat dairy products – 2-3
servings/day
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8 ounces (1 cup) skim or 1% milk, ¾ cup low fat
yogurt, 1 ½ ounces low fat cheese (<30% M.F.)
 Meats, fish, and poultry – 1-2 servings/day
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3 ounces lean cuts of meat with visible fats and
skins removed, 3 ounces fish
DASH Diet
 Nuts, seeds, and dry beans – 4-5 servings/
week
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1/3 cup almonds, peanuts, or walnuts, 2 Tbsp.
seeds, ½ cup cooked legumes (lentils, kidney
beans, black beans)
 Fats and oils – 3 servings/day
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1 tsp. soft margarine or vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp low
fat mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp low fat salad dressing
DASH Diet
 Tips to reduce salt intake
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Take the salt shaker off the table
Limit salt in cooking to ¼ tsp per day
Choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
Rarely eat smoked, cured, pickled, or salted
foods
Do more home cooking: make your own soups,
sauces, and dressings
DASH Diet
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Avoid convenience foods and fast foods
restaurants
Rinse canned products prior to using
Read the labels!
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Limit products listing ingredients such as salt or
sodium or items containing sodium, choose lowest
%DV on nutrition facts table when comparing
“No salt” – Doesn’t contain sodium but contains
potassium (check with your doctor before using)