Early Intervention and Alcohol Abstinence Urged in New Blood Pressure Guidelines
Next time you have your blood pressure checked, be prepared for medical professionals to adopt a more assertive stance on high readings. Wine lovers and cocktail enthusiasts may also need to brace themselves, as new advice from leading heart institutions suggests refraining from alcohol.
Leading heart health committees continuously evaluate the most recent studies to provide medical practitioners with the best strategies for handling high blood pressure. This is the first change in their guidelines since 2017. Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death globally, and controlling blood pressure is one of the most effective ways to prevent it. Regular monitoring of your blood pressure can also help mitigate the risk of kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia.
Almost 50% of all adults in the US have a higher than normal blood pressure. The target figures for adults remain unchanged: Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg, while elevated blood pressure is 120-129/80 mm Hg. If your readings are at 130/80 mmHg or higher, the new guidelines suggest that your healthcare provider will ask you to make some changes.
Blood pressure is gauged in millimeters of mercury, abbreviated as mm Hg. The measurement comprises an upper number, or systolic reading, and a lower number, or diastolic reading. The systolic pressure evaluates the force of blood as it pumps out of the heart into the arteries, while the diastolic pressure is the pressure created as the heart rests between beats.
High blood pressure usually does not exhibit any symptoms. However, when your blood pressure is high, the force of your blood pushes against the walls of your blood vessels, making your heart less efficient, causing both the vessels and heart to work harder. Without treatment, high blood pressure can damage your arteries, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Treatment for High Blood Pressure
The updated blood pressure guidelines recommend adopting healthy lifestyle changes if your systolic blood pressure is in the 130 to 139 range. If after three to six months, these lifestyle changes do not lower your blood pressure to the goal range, then medication is recommended. This is a shift from the 2017 recommendation that suggested lifestyle changes and medication for anyone with systolic blood pressure above 140.
The aim is to more aggressively control blood pressure, which will benefit more people by preventing cardiovascular disease, strokes, kidney disease, and even lowering the risk of dementia.
Recommended lifestyle changes include:
- Maintaining or achieving a healthy weight
- Eating a heart-healthy diet
- Reducing salt intake
- Managing stress
- Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week
- Resistance exercise such as weight training
Another significant change from the 2017 guidelines is the recommendation to avoid alcohol. The previous guidelines advised that if individuals chose to drink, women should limit it to one drink or less per day, and men to two or less per day. However, mounting evidence suggests that alcohol negatively affects your blood pressure.
Although many people enjoy drinking, the evidence suggests that it is safer to abstain. For those who choose to drink, the recommendation is less than one for women and less than two for men.
Recent studies also emphasize the importance of controlling blood pressure to reduce the risk of developing dementia. With increasing evidence of women struggling with high blood pressure during pregnancy, the new guidelines also stress the need for individuals planning to conceive, or those who are already pregnant, to monitor their blood pressure. High blood pressure can compromise pregnancy and increase the chances of elevated blood pressure long after pregnancy.
Dietary recommendations still endorse a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils, and low in fat, sugar, and tropical oils like coconut and palm oils. Sodium intake should be limited, and potassium intake increased. For those cooking at home, potassium-enriched salt substitutes are a simple way to achieve this. Sodium intake should be less than 2,300 mg per day, ideally aiming for a limit of 1,500 mg per day.
For individuals who are overweight or obese, the guidelines recommend losing at least 5% of body weight. For those with severe obesity, proven interventions include diet and exercise, weight loss medications, and for those with very severe obesity, surgery is suggested.
While it can be challenging to manage blood pressure, taking these steps can significantly improve a person's health. Eating a healthy diet in a world full of tempting food options is tough, but the benefits are worth the effort.