National Hypertension Day丨Do a good job of "three reductions" to keep blood pressure from being "high"

"Have you ever measured your blood pressure? Have you ever paid attention to your weight?" October 8 is National Hypertension Day, and this year's theme is "Healthy Weight, Ideal Blood Pressure." Fan Wenfang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Cardiology at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital , said that unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, overweight and obesity are risk factors for hypertension . Reducing salt (sodium) intake and controlling weight can put the brakes on the progression of hypertension.

1. The relationship between weight and blood pressure

There is a close relationship between weight gain and increased blood pressure. According to research data, for every 1 kg increase in weight, systolic blood pressure may rise by about 0.5 to 1 mmHg . In addition, there is a close relationship between BMI (body mass index) and blood pressure. For every 1 unit increase in BMI, systolic blood pressure rises by about 1.37 mmHg. Controlling weight is crucial for the management of high blood pressure.

2. Prevent hypertension by living a healthy life

Associate Chief Physician Fan Wenfang said that a healthy lifestyle mainly involves "three reductions": "reducing salt, reducing oil, and reducing weight."

Reduce salt intake: Patients with hypertension should not consume more than 5g of salt per day, eat less "deeply processed" foods, especially "pickled foods", eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, and increase the intake of whole grains, coarse grains and dietary fiber.

Reduce oil: Reduce fat intake. Excessive fat intake will increase blood cholesterol levels, cause arteriosclerosis and increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Weight loss: Keep your weight within the ideal range. The BMI of adults aged 18 and above should be between 18.5-23.9. Secondly, measure your waist circumference. It should be ≤85cm for men and ≤80cm for women. If your BMI exceeds 28, you should actively lose weight.

3. Control high blood pressure by controlling your weight

Three elements of weight management: eat less, move more, and sleep well.

Eat less : Eat less staple food, drink less soup, eat vegetables first and then meat, eat in moderation, and have a balanced diet.

Get moving : It is recommended that people with hypertension perform moderate or high-intensity aerobic exercise 5 to 7 days a week, for at least 30 minutes each time.

Get a good night’s sleep : Don’t work or use electronic devices one hour before bedtime. Relax your mind, slow down your breathing, and create a comfortable bedroom environment.

4. Be alert to secondary hypertension. There are tricks for refractory hypertension.

At present, there are 245 million patients with hypertension in China. Deputy Chief Physician Fan Wenfang said that refractory hypertension is a major problem in clinical treatment. It means that on the basis of improving lifestyle, blood pressure cannot reach the target after taking three or more antihypertensive drugs (including a thiazide diuretic) in sufficient doses and reasonable combinations. Refractory hypertension requires a comprehensive analysis of the causes to exclude secondary hypertension .

"Renal denervation (RDN) provides an effective alternative therapy for refractory hypertension and can effectively solve the difficulty of medication compliance in hypertensive patients." Deputy Chief Physician Fan Wenfang introduced that renal denervation is a minimally invasive interventional surgery that uses radiofrequency energy to ablate the sympathetic nerve fibers on the adventitia of the renal artery, blocking the signal transmission between the brain and the renal sympathetic nerves, reducing the excitability of the sympathetic nerves, and thus achieving the purpose of lowering blood pressure. Most patients can observe the antihypertensive effect 3-6 months after surgery.

Deputy Chief Physician Fan Wenfang said that the management of hypertension requires comprehensive consideration of lifestyle adjustments and drug treatment. For patients with refractory hypertension, renal sympathetic denervation provides a new treatment option. Through scientific monitoring and treatment, blood pressure can be better controlled and a healthy life can be achieved.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhou Yan, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital

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(Edited by YH)