High blood pressure and cholesterol are factors in heart disease – but is there a link between high blood pressure and cholesterol?
If you have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, you need to make significant changes to prevent heart disease. According to research, the combination of these two conditions makes the risk of heart disease much worse.
While this may seem obvious, the negative effects appear even with mild elevated levels of each. High blood pressure and high cholesterol together can quickly set the stage for a heart attack and stroke if not controlled.
In addition to heart disease, they can also lead to other problems like kidney malfunction and vision loss. If you’ve been diagnosed with either of these conditions, keep track of the other one and make the necessary changes.
Can high cholesterol lead to high blood pressure?
Treatment plans for high cholesterol generally include medications and natural lifestyle changes. If you have high cholesterol, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your blood pressure as well.
According to the American Heart Association, blood pressure is “the force of your blood pushing against the wall of your blood vessels is consistently too high.” When you have high blood pressure (hypertension), the arteries can be stiff and narrow due to high cholesterol.
Because of this, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through your arteries. As a result, circulation is poor and you have high blood pressure.
Cholesterol and Hypertension Damage
As time passes, high blood pressure can damage the arteries as well as other blood vessels. The constant high pressure can cause tears and other damages.
These tears can leave spaces for excess cholesterol, which leads to plaque buildup and artery narrowing. In other words, the combination of high cholesterol and hypertension can put excess strain on the heart muscle.
They can also lead to health issues in the eyes, kidneys, brain, and other areas of your body.
Controlling the Risk Factors
While these two conditions can increase the risk of heart disease, there are things you can do to manage them. Doctors can prescribe medications that effectively keep cholesterol and blood pressure under control.
Besides medications, you can make lifestyle changes that naturally strengthen the heart and blood vessels. Moreover, they can help lower your blood pressure and manage your cholesterol levels.
Start improving your cholesterol and blood pressure health by avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking. You should also avoid fatty foods, salty foods, sugary foods, and foods high in cholesterol.
Conversely, you should adopt healthy habits like regular exercise and eating a well-balanced diet. Aim to workout at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week; aerobic exercise is particularly effective at lowering blood pressure.
Furthermore, you should make an eating plan that includes a lot of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. There are various eating plans that specifically target blood pressure and cholesterol like the DASH diet and TLC diet.
You can also add heart health supplements like L-arginine Plus to your routine to boost your circulation and cholesterol health. By trying a combination of these solutions, you can start improving your health and decreasing the risk of heart disease.