Lower Blood Pressure

1. Keep control of your blood pressure
   That's what this website is all about of course.
   Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure has two readings - systolic and diastolic. The higher (systolic) number represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump blood to the body. The lower (diastolic) number represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. Blood pressure below 140/85 mmHg is considered optimal for adults but this reading should be less if you have diabetes or other heart attack risk factors
   
   


2. Lower Your Cholesterol Readings
   
   Here's what your optimal numbers should be:
   Total cholesterol less than 200
   LDL-cholesterol less than 100
   HDL-cholesterol at 40 or higher
   Cholesterol ratio (total chol/HDL) at less than 5
   
   These are the figures as they are measured in the US. In Europe the corresponding levels are 4.0 for total cholesterol and greater than 1.0 for HDL.
   
   
   
3. Be Active Every Day
   Regular exercise helps control your weight (which in turn helps lower LDL-cholesterol and blood pressure). On most days, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity and more if you need to lose weight.
   
   


4. Lose that tummy
   Research shows that its where you carry fat - NOT necessarily how much fat you’re carrying - that increases the risk of calcium and plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart.
   
   Abdominal fat - as opposed to fat around the hips - seems to trigger a chain of inflammatory activities that translates into harmful metabolic changes and plaque buildup and ultimately heart disease.
   
   In other words, the bigger your belly is in relationship to your hips (this is known as the waist-to-hip ratio) is a better indicator of early signs of heart disease than other common measures of overweight and obesity, such as body mass index (BMI) and height/weight charts.
   
   Know your waist-to-hip ratio.
   
   Here's how it works:
   
   While standing, use a tape measure to measure your waist in inches at its smallest point OR at your navel (without holding in or pushing out your tummy).
   Next, measure your hips in inches at the widest area.
   Lastly, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.
   For example, if your waist measures 38 inches and your hips measure 38 inches then you're 1.0.
   
   Ideal waist-to-hip ratio:
   
   For men, .9 or less is considered safe.
   For women, .8 or less is considered safe.
   For both men and women, 1.0 or higher is considered “at risk” for heart disease
   The good news is that even small improvements prove to be beneficial. Lose an inch or two off your waist and you're already better off.
   
   


5. Eat a healthy heart diet
   
   * Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
   * Limit saturated fat intake
   * Limit salt intake
   * Limit alcohol to one drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men.
   * Eat fish rich in omega-3 fats 3 times a week (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout and shellfish).

If you follow these steps then you'll go a long way to lowering your blood pressure and lowering your risk of having a heart attack.

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