9 Hypertension Myths We’ve All Believed
1. Hypertension isn’t a serious issue
According to the WHO, high blood pressure can lead to the following health issues: Heart attack, Heart failure, Irregular heartbeat (this can lead to sudden death) Chest pain, also known as Angina Stroke, Kidney damage.
2. I don’t use salt in my food, so I’m managing my sodium levels
As a matter of fact, it is established that processed foods account for at least 40% of our daily sodium intake, namely the following foods: Pizza, Sandwiches Bread, Eggs and Omlets, Meat, Canned soup, Chips, Cheese etc.
3. Hypertension is inevitable
Another common misconception is the idea that high blood pressure cannot be prevented, especially in older age, and everyone is bound to get it. In addition, many people also believe that they will surely have hypertension if the condition runs in the family. While it is certainly true that hypertension has a genetic component, research shows that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet can cancel out the genetic predisposition to high blood pressure.
4. Only men suffer from high blood pressure
5. You’re fine if only one of the measurements is off
6. Low blood pressure isn’t an issue
While many people have a naturally lower blood pressure than others, drops in blood pressure can be a concern, as it can cause dizziness, or make you faint or go into shock.
7. Red wine is considered healthy for the heart, so I can safely indulge in it
8. Surely, I would notice the symptoms if I had hypertension
9. Once my blood pressure normalizes, I can stop taking my prescription more
According to the WHO, high blood pressure can lead to the following health issues: Heart attack, Heart failure, Irregular heartbeat (this can lead to sudden death) Chest pain, also known as Angina Stroke, Kidney damage.
2. I don’t use salt in my food, so I’m managing my sodium levels
As a matter of fact, it is established that processed foods account for at least 40% of our daily sodium intake, namely the following foods: Pizza, Sandwiches Bread, Eggs and Omlets, Meat, Canned soup, Chips, Cheese etc.
3. Hypertension is inevitable
Another common misconception is the idea that high blood pressure cannot be prevented, especially in older age, and everyone is bound to get it. In addition, many people also believe that they will surely have hypertension if the condition runs in the family. While it is certainly true that hypertension has a genetic component, research shows that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet can cancel out the genetic predisposition to high blood pressure.
4. Only men suffer from high blood pressure
5. You’re fine if only one of the measurements is off
6. Low blood pressure isn’t an issue
While many people have a naturally lower blood pressure than others, drops in blood pressure can be a concern, as it can cause dizziness, or make you faint or go into shock.
7. Red wine is considered healthy for the heart, so I can safely indulge in it
8. Surely, I would notice the symptoms if I had hypertension
9. Once my blood pressure normalizes, I can stop taking my prescription more
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True, Mr.Verma. I also feel uncomfortable at low sodium. With some salt I become lively. I dont know if it is physical or psycological. Also, with full medicines, My normal pressure is 200/120. Unable to reduce @72 yrs. I m not OWt more
Dec 24
Am amazed to read the BP figures of 200/120 despite medication. More amazed if your doctor accepts these figures..... more
Dec 25
very good information and as mentioned by you all periodic revisions in the recommendations as per new research findings and also appraising the same to the larger community through media etc would go a long way in making people understand the same. more
Dec 23
Useful information Mr Pande. However, reducing salt intake for high blood pressure is overhyped. About 20% patients with high BP are salt sensitive, which means that reducing salt in them will directly reflect a reduction of 10-20 mmHg, but remaining are not. Sodium and Potassium are very important electrolytes & are needed for various cellular processes. They also have a very narrow range to be maintained, but body knows how to balance the levels. So we shouldn't worry much about the intake. The issue is when the salt retention becomes more in the body. As far the junk that you have mentioned, we must avoid it not just because of excess salt and sodium, but because of the excess carbohydrates, which anyway are consumed a lot in Indian & even Western diet. Lot of new data is available to show that excess carb intake leads to insulin resistance, which leads to more insulin secretion, more hunger pangs for carbs, and which gets stored as fat. Insulin resistance is also responsible for sodium retention in the body, which can increase our blood pressure. So if we can reduce carb intake, which means cut down on roti, rice, potato, pasta, oats, sugar, honey, fruits, etc., we can not only control our blood sugar levels better, but also make the body burn that stored fat for energy (reduce obesity & in particular the stubborn fat), reduce salt retention & hence blood pressure. Those who exercise, need more salt anyway. My wife used to have leg cramps (potassium depletion could be one of the reason) during the latter half of her marathons. Since she started 1 tsp of salt in a glass of water before the run, she doesn't have the problem anymore. I also follow the same, and can run 10-21 k (depending on the season) without any water breaks. With new research, its high time WHO and other organisations revise their guidelines on salt intake. In case one wants to read up, there is an interesting book called "The Salt Fix" by Dr James DiNicolantonio, also available on Amazon, and he says "Don't blame salt for what the sugar does to your body!" more
Dec 23
