More than 50 thousand people in the United States died from hypertension in 2006, the American Heart Association reports, and more than 70 million adults in the country currently have the condition. Hypertension significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In general, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting salt intake and eating a low-fat diet can help reduce your hypertension risk.
Limit Sodium
People with hypertension are often salt-sensitive, Colorado State University reports. When you you are salt-sensitive, your body tends to respond to salt --also called sodium-- in the diet by increasing blood pressure. To know if you are salt-sensitive, limit your salt intake and note the effect on your blood pressure by using an at-home blood pressure monitor or by asking your health-care professional to check it for you. Colorado State University advises salt-sensitive people to limit their total salt intake to less than 2,300 mg per day. While limiting salt from the salt shaker is important, the Mayo Clinic reports that 75 percent of our salt intake comes from processed and packaged foods. Cutting back on frozen dinners, canned vegetables and fast food will put a huge dent in your sodium intake.
DASH It
The Dietary Approach to Stopping Hypertension, or DASH, diet is an effective way to rapidly lower blood pressure, the National Institutes of Health reports. The DASH diet is a low-sodium, high-potassium diet rich in fresh fruits, veggies, beans and low-fat dairy. To reduce the risk of heart disease, the diet also limits intake of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. The NIH states that following the DASH diet may also reduce your body weight, furthering the blood pressure benefits.
Lose Weight
One of the most important things you can do to reduce high blood pressure is to lose weight. People who are overweight are at heightened risk for hypertension, the American Heart Association reports. Fortunately, you don't have to lose a lot of weight to see a benefit. Losing just 5 percent of your total weight --and keeping it off --is enough to notice a significant drop in blood pressure. For long-term weight management, avoid crash diets that promise fast weight loss in a short period of time. Instead, adopt a balanced, reduced-calorie diet combined with daily physical activity.
