What’s pumping up your blood pressure?

Did you know that snoring, salt and stress, among other things, may be causing your blood pressure to rise? Read about the five factors that could be contributing to increasing your risk of stroke and heart disease without you being aware. Then learn about the effective – and proven – lifestyle changes that can lower your readings.
What’s pumping up your blood pressure?

High blood pressure is called the silent killer. It is estimated that 43% of the Canadian adult population don’t even know they have it. But simple, everyday things you do could be contributing to rising blood pressure. Maybe you put too much salt on your vegetables, sit too long at your desk, smoke, stress out often over small things, or snore the night away. Keep reading to see which of these “S” factors might be affecting you. Then take quick action with simple – and effective – lifestyle changes. As Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson and blood pressure expert Dr. Sheldon Tobe says, each heart-healthy lifestyle change you make could help lower your blood pressure as much as a standard starting dose of a blood-pressure lowering drug.

High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – is a measure of the pressure or force of blood against the walls of your arteries when your heart pumps. Over time, high blood pressure damages the walls, causing scarring that promotes the build-up of fatty plaque, which can narrow and eventually block arteries (atherosclerosis). It also strains the heart and eventually weakens it. Very high blood pressure can cause blood vessels in the brain to burst, resulting in a stroke. Blood pressure that is consistently more than 140/90 mm Hg is considered high, but if you have other conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease, 130/80 mm Hg is considered high. The only way you will know if you have high blood pressure is to have your doctor check it.

Salting

Salt is such a commonplace ingredient that we barely think about shaking it onto our food – even food that’s already high in sodium. But about one-third of the population is salt-sensitive, meaning excess salt can boost their blood pressure and reducing their intake can be especially beneficial for their hearts. Even people with normal blood pressure levels can benefit from reducing their salt intake.

Lifestyle changes

Only about 10% of your total sodium consumption comes from adding salt at the table. Processed foods, including fast foods, hot dogs and luncheon meats, canned soups, condiments and salty snacks contribute most of our dietary sodium. So, remember to check the Nutrition Facts table on food products for sodium or salt. If the daily value of sodium listed in the table is 10% or less, the product is considered low in salt.

Most Canadians consume about 3,300 mg of sodium a day. According to Dr. Sheldon Tobe, just reducing salt to 1,800 mg can bring systolic pressure down by five points and diastolic down by 2.7 points – that can make a big difference for some people. The Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests that Canadians consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day, the equivalent of 1 tsp (5 mL) of salt, including salt found in fast-foods, grocery store items, and prepared, ready-to-go dishes.

Sitting

If you spend most of your day sitting in front of the TV or a computer screen, you’re probably not getting your required 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Physical inactivity has been linked to higher blood pressure levels and an increased risk of heart disease.

Lifestyle changes
No, you don’t have to join a gym and overhaul your lifestyle. But you do need to do something for 30 minutes a day – walk, dance, swim, bike – even 10 minutes at a time. Dr. Paula Harvey, a Heart and Stroke Foundation funded researcher, has found that, for many people, just one session of physical activity can lower blood pressure 60 minutes later – and those effects can last up to 16 hours. Engaging in moderate physical activity on a consistent basis has benefits, too. “Exercise training has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of diabetes – those benefits are seen in males and females across the lifespan,” Dr. Harvey says. But any moderately intense activity can have a positive impact on your blood pressure - no matter what your age or risk factor profile, Dr. Harvey says.

Smoking

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke is dangerous for your heart. The nicotine in tobacco products like cigarettes causes blood vessels to constrict so blood needs to pump harder to get oxygen around the body, which can raise your blood pressure.

Lifestyle changes
Giving up cigarettes and limiting your exposure to second-hand smoke can have almost immediate beneficial effects on your blood pressure and your heart. In fact, within 48 hours of giving up smoking, your chances of having a heart attack start to go down and your sense of smell and taste begin to improve. The benefits to your heart keep coming the longer you avoid smoking.

Stressing

When you are feeling stressed, your blood pressure goes up and your heart rate quickens. It’s a natural response to feeling threatened or upset and in order to induce the “fight” or “flight” response.  But these days, it doesn’t do people any good. Anger, like stress, may also be responsible for elevated blood pressure in some people. If your stress is persistent, it could be damaging your health.

Lifestyle changes
Reducing stress now could lead to a healthy future with a lower risk of heart disease. Try a few of these strategies:

• Learn how to breathe deeply and slowly, which can lower stress and blood pressure. Breathing practices such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, or Pilates may help. Try one or more of these offered by a board of education, recreation centre or local community college to find the one that works best for you. Ask your family, friends or colleagues to sign up with you.
• Get physically active on a regular basis – moving is your body’s natural way of getting rid of toxins caused by stress. Make it specific and commit to the time. For example, you may go for a walk around the block every evening after dinner, bike in your local park on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and garden on the weekends. If you’ve been inactive, talk to your physician before starting any exercise program.

Snoring

In obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes snoring and frequent waking, the airway at the back of the throat closes during sleep, causing temporary interruptions in breathing patterns. As a result, the heart has to pump harder to deliver sufficient blood and oxygen to the body and this can increase blood pressure and heart rate, says Dr. Douglas Bradley, who worked with Dr. John Floras on a Heart and Stroke Foundation funded study examining the link between heart failure patients and sleep apnea. When sleep apnea goes untreated, the frequent elevations in blood pressure become chronic, and can lead to high blood pressure throughout the night and day, says Dr. Bradley.

Lifestyle changes
If you think you snore – or your partner has told you – talk to your doctor. Treatment of sleep apnea with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine (CPAP) has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate in patients who have sleep apnea, Dr. Bradley says.

Start lowering your blood pressure today

Get regular physical check-ups and have your blood pressure measured – at least every two years. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. Remember that while you can modify many factors that make blood pressure rise, age and genetics also play a big role. As well, some other conditions, like diabetes, can also contribute to high blood pressure.
Are you at risk? Take the Heart&Stroke Risk AssessmentTM and get a personalized risk profile and a customized action plan for healthy living that includes tips, tools, recipes and much more to help you reduce your risk. Read more about blood pressure and how it affects your heart.

To get help to quit smoking, go to Health Canada’s website www.gosmokefree.ca   

For more tips, read dietitian Alyssa Rolnick’s article on how to shake your salt habit.