If you want to improve your blood pressure, you can do some things. The following are high blood pressure risk factors you can control.
When it comes to high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, there are several risk factors that can contribute to the condition. By knowing what these risk factors are, you can take the necessary steps to manage your condition or maybe even prevent it. The following is an overview of the high blood pressure risk factors you can control.
Hypertension Risk Factors
There are two types of risk factors that can lead to high blood pressure: the ones you can control and the ones that you can’t. Modifiable risk factors are those that you can change to help manage your condition or reduce the risk of developing it.
Modifiable risk factors include:
- Diet: Eating a diet high in sodium, calories, saturated fats, trans fat, and sugar increases your risk of hypertension.
- Physical activity: Getting regular exercise is essential to managing and preventing hypertension, as it improves your circulation.
- Weight: If you’re overweight or obese, that extra weight puts an extra strain on your cardiovascular system. Maintain it at a healthy range to reduce your risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
- Alcohol: drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis can lead to high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and stroke.
- Sleep: It’s essential that you get the recommended amount of sleep for someone your age. However, if you have sleep apnea, this may be difficult. Obstructive sleep apnea won’t just affect your sleep but can also increase your risk of hypertension.
- Cholesterol and diabetes: It is not uncommon for people with high blood pressure to also have other associated conditions. In fact, more than half of people with hypertension also have cholesterol and most people with diabetes develop hypertension.
- Tobacco: Smoking or using tobacco products can temporarily increase your blood pressure and also damage your arteries. In addition, just being exposed to smoke through secondhand smoke can increase your risk of heart disease.
- Stress: Chronic stress can not only lead to increased blood pressure but can encourage unhealthy behaviors and indirectly contribute to hypertension. For example, some people cope with stress by eating poorly, not exercising, smoking, or drinking too much alcohol.
Controlling High Blood Pressure
While there are some risk factors that are out of your control, like age and genetics, it’s important to focus on the ones that you can change. Making healthy lifestyle choices can go a long way in improving your blood pressure health.
If you’re not used to practicing healthy habits on a regular basis, then try starting little by little. As you make healthy dietary and exercise choices while avoiding unhealthy habits, you’ll improve your blood pressure and heart health.
If you want to give your system an extra boost, you can also take supplements like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients promote circulation, blood pressure, cholesterol, and more. Give your health the support it needs and practice healthy habits while taking L-arginine Plus.