Study shows that contrary to the misconceptions about men being more at risk of hypertension, women are at more risk of having hypertension.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high or higher. It is common but can be serious if not treated. People with high blood pressure may not feel symptoms. The only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked.
However, nearly half of all adults with high blood pressure are women. Women that have a family history of hypertension, have reached menopause are known to be at risk. Research also shows that pregnancy can elevate the risk of hypertension in women. Some women who have never had high blood pressure develop it while they are pregnant.
Preeclampsia is one high blood pressure (hypertension) disorder that can occur during pregnancy. It is usually characterized by the onset of high blood pressure that is lasting and can lead to various complications.
Here are few ways to lower the risk of high blood pressure:
- Eat a well-balanced diet that’s low in salt: Lowering salt intake reduces blood pressure and the risk of having it. An updated systematic review of studies where salt was reduced for at least 4 weeks found that systolic blood pressure was reduced.
2. Limit alcohol and Quit Smoking: Studies on the risks of cardiovascular disease heart disease have found that alcohol and smoking raise by several fold the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Some previous studies have investigated the relationship between hypertension to both alcohol and smoking
3. Enjoy regular physical activity and manage stress: This involves taking breaks like taking strolls and taking care of your health and body. This can also be involved in eating right so as not to be overweight and eating foods with low nutritional value and doing exercises
4. Home monitoring (self-measured blood pressure) is not a substitute for regular visits to your health care professional but can be very useful in managing high blood pressure.
For those that have checked and are aware that they at high risk of having hypertension, medications are recommended for prevention. For pregnant women, the best prevention of hypertension is the use of low-dose aspirin. Your primary care provider may recommend taking an 81-milligram aspirin tablet daily after 12 weeks of pregnancy if you have one high-risk factor for preeclampsia or more than one moderate-risk factor.
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