LOCAL NEWS | UCKG.ORG | 020 7686 6000
7 IN 10 BRITS
HAVE HIGH BLOOD
PRESSURE
3
3 Tips on reducing blood pressure
1. Have a healthy diet: Cut down the amount of salt in your
food and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Salt raises your
blood pressure and the more salt you eat, the higher your
blood pressure. Aim to eat less than 6g (0.2oz) of salt a day i.e.
approximately one teaspoon. Eating a low-fat diet that includes
lots of fibre, such as wholegrain rice, bread and pasta, and
plenty of fruit and vegetables also helps lower blood pressure.
Aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
2. Lose weight: Being overweight forces your heart to
work harder to pump blood around your body, which can
raise your blood pressure. If you do need to lose weight,
speak to a professional to help you shed some weight.
3. Limit your alcohol intake: Regularly drinking alcohol above
recommended limits can raise your blood pressure over time.
Staying within these recommended levels is the best way
to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. Men
and women are advised not to regularly drink more than
14 units a week and it is suggested to spread your drinking
over three days or more if you drink as many as 14 units
a week. As alcohol is also high in calories, this will make you
gain weight and can further increase your blood pressure.
Eating a nourishing balanced diet and doing consistent exercise is a positive way to
keep your heart healthy. However many people may not show symptoms of high blood
pressure, so it is also important to have regular check-ups. For more information, consult
a General Practitioner.
SOURCE: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/prevention/
Around one in four adults in the UK suffer from high blood pressure, also
known as hypertension; and half of these are not diagnosed or receive
treatment, according to NHS figures.
S
oaring high blood pressure rates among the
young and old are steadily pushing Britain towards
the ‘red danger zone’, with hypertension being the
third biggest risk factor for disease and disability
in England, after smoking and poor diet. It costs
the NHS an estimated £2.1 billion every year. This
condition increases the risk of serious and potentially
fatal illnesses, such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney
disease and dementia.
What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers: the
systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at
which your heart pumps blood around your body, and
the diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance
to the blood flow in the blood vessels. They are both
measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
As a general guide:
-high blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or higher
-ideal blood pressure is between 90/60mmHg and
120/80mmHg
-low blood pressure is 90/60mmHg or lower.
A blood pressure reading between 120/80mmHg
and 140/90mmHg could mean you are at risk of
developing high blood pressure if you do not take
steps to keep your blood pressure under control.
New data from Lloyds Pharmacy suggests that
the problem could be even more widespread than
originally feared. The Lloyds Pharmacy offered free
blood pressure checks to 19,181 people who walked
into their branches in 2016.
Approximately nine out of ten people tested (86%)
had higher blood pressure than the healthy range,
with 54% of participants officially classed as having
high blood pressure. Only 13% of participants had
healthy blood pressure, while 1% suffered from low
blood pressure, according to its State of the Nation
Health report.
an end to a
14-year cycle
Veronica Hagan had been taking blood pressure tablets
every day, for 14 years. This over-a-decade-long routine
was the only way the 72-year-old from
London could ensure a quality of life.
Most people adapt to it but for some,
it can become a tedious and frustrating
cycle. Veronica was one of the latter.
Worryingly, more than half of people found to have
high blood pressure had no history of the condition;
they could have been completely unaware anything
was wrong before taking up the free test.
The scale of this issue is significant as many of the
people that were tested had healthy lifestyles, so they
did not know they had a problem. These included
non-smokers, and nearly half of the people exercised
for 150 minutes or more per week, a third drank less
than 14 units of alcohol per week, and a quarter had
a healthy weight. Only a third of the people with high
blood pressure had a family history of heart disease. “E
It is important if you have high blood pressure that
you make the recommended lifestyle changes and
take any prescribed medication. Everyone should aim
for a blood pressure reading lower than or as close to
120/80 as possible. Veronica decided to make some lifestyle changes, but
also used the power of prayer to improve her overall
wellbeing.
According to the NHS, high blood pressure can
often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily,
maintaining a healthy weight, exercising on a regular
basis, drinking alcohol in moderation and not
smoking. Here are some tips on lifestyle changes that
can be done to lower blood pressure.
*The UCKG HelpCentre’s spiritual advice is to be seen as a complement to the scientifically-proven treatment you may be receiving. The UCKG
HelpCentre does not claim to heal people but believes that God can through the power of faith. Always follow your doctor’s instructions.
very day of every week of every month, I had to take
these tablets, and when I was travelling, I had to be
extra cautious. I didn’t like taking them. Enough was enough.
I did not want to live this life anymore, so I decided to do
something about it.”
“Once I had put my mind to achieving positive change
in my health, it happened! Gradually, my doctor
reduced the dosage of my medicine right up until she
then said I no longer needed to take it.
I was not surprised with this outcome because I knew
that as long as I had God on my side and did my part, I
would see the results I wanted. I am so happy!”
Veronica Hagan