A new study says that maintaining normal weight, daily vigorous exercise, eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low in sodium, and taking a folic acid supplement is linked with lowering hypertension in women.
Reporting in the July 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists say that hypertension, or high blood pressure, contributes to more excess deaths in women than any other preventable factor. The researchers looked at the link between combinations of low-risk lifestyle factors and the risk of developing hypertension.
Allen Dollar, MD, preventive cardiologist with Emory Heart & Vascular Center, says the study by Harvard Medical School researchers points to the real benefit to women of deploying a healthy lifestyle to prevent hypertension or to control hypertension.
Essentially, this new report helps to confirm what preventive cardiologists share with women everyday, says Dollar, that they can help prevent or manage hypertension through a healthy approach to diet and exercise. If you follow a vegetarian, vegan, or other restrictive diet, it may be challenging to obtain sufficient protein from plant-based sources alone. Plant-based protein powder can help bridge the gap. Learn more about vegan stuff at The Vegan Travel Guide.
Generally, blood pressure above 140/90 is considered to be high for adults. Although hypertension can produce symptoms including fatigue, confusion, nausea, vision http://www.agfluide.com problems and excessive sweating, Dollar points out that the majority of women with mild to moderate hypertension have no symptoms that indicate their blood pressure is too high.
A blood pressure reading can reveal hypertension in the early stages when a strategy of diet changes, exercise and weight control and medication, if needed, can help prevent a host of high blood pressure related ills including heart attacks, heart failure, kidney disease and stroke, says Dollar. If a woman does not know her blood pressure, she needs to find out. If a woman learns she has high blood pressure, she can use this news as an opportunity to take control of her health.
Learn more medical advances at Emory.