Hypertension - A Silent Killer

Do you get headaches often? Spells of dizziness at times? Bouts of anxiety? If you've just said yes, then you may be suffering from hypertension. Hypertension, referred to as the ‘silent killer', is especially dangerous because it often has no specific warning signs or symptoms. Of those who have high blood pressure, almost 35 per cent don't even know they have it. Fortunately, it is easy to monitor blood pressure by having it regularly checked.

WHY SHOULD BLOOD PRESSURE BE CONTROLLED?

High blood pressure causes the heart to work too hard. It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can damage the eyes, kidneys, liver and the nervous system. Although genes play a role in the occurrence of hypertension, lifestyle habits play a crucial part in controlling this condition.

Causes behind the silent killer

Obesity

A high-salt diet

Smoking

Alcohol consumption

Stress

High caffeine consumption

High cholesterol levels

Take charge now!

Maintain a healthy weight; lose weight if you are overweight.

Exercise regularly – a minimum of 30-minutes of a moderate intensity exercise regime such as walking is recommended.

Limit your salt intake to less than 2,400mg (about 1-teaspoon). A high intake of sodium in the diet can increase blood pressure in about 40% of individuals.

Consume fruits, vegetables and a low-fat diet.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

Relaxation and deep breathing exercises are beneficial.

Avoid too much caffeine. Several cups of coffee can mildly increase blood pressure throughout the day.

Mediterranean diet for healthy living

Mediterranean diet also has positive effects on individual risk factors such as waist size, HDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides levels, blood pressure levels and glucose metabolism, according to a new study. The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids, primarily from olives and olive oils; daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and low-fat dairy products; weekly consumption of fish, poultry, tree nuts, and legumes; a relatively low consumption of red meat; and a moderate daily consumption of alcohol, normally with meals.

Demosthenes Panagiotakos, associate professor in Biostatistics-Epidemiology of Nutrition, Department of Science of Dietetics - Nutrition, Harokopio University of Athens, and Christina-Maria Kastorini meta-analysed the results of 50 studies on the diet, with an overall studied population of about half a million subjects.

"The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is increasing rapidly throughout the world, in parallel with the increasing incidence of diabetes and obesity, and is now considered a major public health problem,” said lead investigator Panagiotakos. "Additionally, the metabolic syndrome is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease (directly or indirectly), associated with personal and socio-economic burdens. As a result, prevention of this condition is of considerable importance,” he said.

The Mediterranean diet is one of the best-known and well-studied dietary patterns, which has been shown to be associated with decreased mortality from all causes, lower risk for cardiovascular disease, Type-2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer, according to the researchers. Additionally, it has a beneficial effect on abdominal obesity, lipids levels, glucose metabolism and blood pressure levels, which are also risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the Mediterranean diet as a whole, as well as the effects of the individual components of the diet, and especially olive oil, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish, also confer to the beneficial role of this pattern.

"To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first work that has systematically assessed, through a large meta-analysis, the role of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome and its components,” said Panagiotakos. "Our results add to the existing knowledge, and further demonstrate the protective role and the significance that lifestyle factors, and mainly dietary habits, have when it comes to the development and progression of the metabolic syndrome,” he added.

The study is published in the March 15, 2011, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Carbohydrates for a healthy diet

Every food stuff has good and bad carbohydrates. Look out for Nutritional Facts and ingredients printed on the packets of these foodstuff to know what and how much are you consuming.

Carbohydrates are often thought of as the 'bad guys' in a healthy diet plan. But not all carbs are created equal. While some diets will see you enjoy good carbs such as non-starchy vegetables and legumes, and eliminate all starchy and sugary carbs to help balance your blood-sugar levels and control cravings, with some other diets more "good" carbs, such as whole-grains, fruits, and certain starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes and winter squash, are reintroduced. The key to choosing healthy carbs is to focus on those that are high in fiber.

Good carbohydrates include those found in nutritious, high-fibre fruits and vegetables, legumes, unrefined whole grains, and certain types of rice, such as brown and wild. Unfortunately, fibre is often removed from grains during processing to produce a smoother texture and to extend the shelf life of breads and other baked goods. Without fibre, processed grains become essentially chains of glucose (sugar) molecules known as starches, which are devoid of nutrients. These bad carbs must be avoided on a healthy diet.

Besides being packed with vitamins and minerals, good carbs contain plenty of fibre, which takes longer to digest, thus keeping blood-sugar levels steady - and cravings at bay.

When you pick up a product, be sure to first check out the Nutrition Facts panel. This will show you the total amount of carbohydrates and how much of that total comes from fibre and sugar. The higher the fibre in a product the better it is refined flour products often have very little.