World Hypertension Day 2024: 5 Lifestyle Changes To Reduce Risk Of Hypertension

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a condition that can negatively affect your heart, kidneys and liver. This occurs when the force in your blood vessels is consistently too high.

5 Lifestyle Changes To Reduce Risk Of Hypertension

Reduce sodium intake: Your blood pressure can see a hike due to excessive consumption of salt. This indirectly raises the risk of heart disease. It is important to understand that cutting back on salt can be achieved by avoiding packaged products, soft drinks, and processed foods, as these frequently have high salt content. People with high blood pressure should focus more on consuming foods such as proteins, nutritious grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables as an alternative. Furthermore, flavouring food using herbs and spices rather than salt can help lower sodium intake without sacrificing flavour. (Image Source: Getty)

Focus on regular exercise to keep a check on your heart health. Regular exercise strengthens and enhances the cardiac muscles. Exercise helps the heart's muscles extract more oxygen, which means the heart doesn't have to pump as much blood as usual. Adding 30 minutes of jogging, cycling, rowing, or running to your daily routine can help reduce stress on your heart. (Image Source: Getty)

Probiotics for a healthy heart: When consumed in an adequate amount, probiotics are live organisms that help you promote gut health by lowering blood sugar levels. Probiotics maintain a balance of bacteria in the gut, which leads to the proper absorption of minerals and improves the digestion process. Probiotics may indirectly help heart health by lowering inflammation and enhancing general metabolic function through the promotion of gut health. (Image Source: Getty)

Increase your potassium and magnesium intake. Potassium is one of the minerals that helps you reduce your blood pressure and regulate the intake of salt in your body. While supplements may be a good source of certain nutrients, it is advised to keep potassium and magnesium in check through a healthy diet. (Image Source: Getty)

Regular check-ups for a timely diagnosis: You should never ignore symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, or an or an irregular heartbeat, as these can be signs of heart failure or a heart attack. If not treated on time, this condition can be life-threatening as well. You should, without any delay, visit your healthcare provider regularly to monitor your blood pressure. (Image Source: Getty)

Inputs by Dr. Dixit Garg, Consultant Intervention - Cardiology, Manipal Hospital Gurugram. (Image Source: Getty)