What can you do about the Silent Killer- HYPERTENSION
SOME FINDINGS:
Pascal Geldsetzer of Harvard University and colleagues looked at health data collected from 1,320,555 adults across India between 2012 and 2014, which included plasma glucose and blood pressure measurements.
Findings – hypertension prevalence was 20 percent for women and 24.5 percent for men, with marked variation among states. It was found to be on the rise
Lets look at some latest & alarming findings. 54% of the Indian population can be pegged in the adult age range and 1 out of every 8 adults is suffering from hypertension.
Hypertension is known to kill around 8 Million people each year across the globe. Its an adversary worth watching and driving away.
What is Hypertension?
A quick google search and it prompts to hypertension
nounMEDICINE
noun: hypertension
- abnormally high blood pressure.
- a state of great psychological stress.
- According to World Health Organisation (WHO), hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump
- Normal blood pressure is 120 over 80 mm of mercury (mmHg), but hypertension is higher than 130 over 80 mmHg
Reasons for Hypertension
1. Older people above 60 years are more prone. Prevalent in Younger Men & older women. Existing health conditions, diseases and medications. These are out of your control
2. Weight. Alcohol & tobacco use. Salt intake. Physical inactivity – Sedentary Lifestyle – There are in your control.
3. Stress – The constantly demanding lifestyle and need for instant gratification puts people into a state of high stress
What can you do?
1. In 2017 it was all over the news- Dates are known to be one of the most beneficial food to counter hypertension. 6 to 7 dates a day can help you get the required potassium and magnesium
2. Move- Move around. Sitting is the new in thing which also leads to hypertension – So get into a physical activity that you enjoy.
3. It goes without saying – Watch your salt intake. Stop the tobacco habit and watch what you drink- if it is copious amounts of alcohol that drive you. Watch out for some serious after-effects
4. Meditate – You might have noticed the dictionary definition. Hypertension “a state of great psychological stress”. Stress causes our bodies to malfunction and release higher doses of chemical substances and also increases the blood pressure.
Over the years of my mediation and having taught meditation through my coaching practice, I have experienced that as the stress level drop the blood pressure gets regulated. Not to mention that this practice brings with it a host of happy benefits at no cost and without any medication
Concluding with some research ….
Robert Schneider (Director of the Institute of Natural Medicine & Prevention) reported that people with high blood pressure who have been meditating for longer than three months need on average 23% less blood pressure medication
