More than one in four adults in the UK suffers from high blood pressure, according to government figures, and it can increase the risk of a number of medical conditions, including heart failure, coronary artery disease and stroke.
There are a number of lifestyle changes that patients can make to help reduce their blood pressure, which can help people to manage the condition and reduce their risk of developing other medical conditions.
Medical News Today recently highlighted some of the main steps people can take to reduce their high blood pressure. Among them is to maintain a healthy weight, because being obese or overweight places greater strain on the heart muscle and this leads to increased blood pressure.
Doing more physical activity is also recommended for those who suffer from high blood pressure, with the current guidelines to do 90 to 150 minutes of exercise each week and to mix this up between cardiovascular and resistance training.
Giving up smoking, reducing alcohol consumption and drinking less caffeine can also help patients to lower their blood pressure.
It’s also important for people to monitor their blood pressure at home, so that they can seek medical attention should they have a high reading.
The publication also listed a range of dietary changes that people can make, all of which will often help patients to bring their blood pressure down. However, it stressed that some of the suggestions will work for some people but not for others.
It also noted that there is no timeline for how quickly people can experience a change. Some may notice a difference after just a few days, whereas for others it can take weeks.
If you need blood pressure monitor testing at your health centre to make sure you can accurately advise patients about their blood pressure, get in touch with us today.