DISEASE · Part 2

physically inactive is prone to hypertension. Regular physical activity lowers blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health. It also helps in maintaining a healthy body weight which is an important way to control blood pressure. ¡ ¡ Stress: Chronic emotional and mental stress leads to high blood pressure. UNIT - - - NUTRITION IN HYPERTENSION AND CARDIO-VASCULAR DISEASE ¡ ¡ Diabetes: Diabetes makes arteries less elastic, which may increase the workload for the heart. Therefore, diabetics develop hypertension because of the effect of diabetes on the blood vessels. ¡ ¡ Alcohol: Excess alcohol intake could cause a rise in blood pressure and also increase the risk of stroke. ¡ ¡ Dietary Factors : . Increased intake of energy has been associated with an increase in blood pressure. . Higher intakes of cholesterol and saturated fat are associated with elevated blood pressure levels. . A high-fibre diet that includes a liberal intake of greens and vegetables causes a significant reduction in blood pressure levels of hypertensive individuals. . High intake of sodium is directly linked with hypertension. . Dietary calcium and magnesium intake have been related to lower blood pressure. . Caffeine present in coffee can produce a short term significant increase in blood pressure. Salt is sodium chloride. Sodium makes up % of sodium chloride. One gram of salt contains milligrams sodium. Now we can calculate the sodium content in varying quantities of salt Salt in grams Spoon Measurement Sodium in milligrams A pinch of salt . ¼ tsp salt . ½ tsp salt tsp salt tsp salt . Symptoms and complications of hypertension Common symptoms observed in hypertension are the following: ¾ ¾ Headache ¾ ¾ Dizziness ¾ ¾ Impaired vision ¾ ¾ Irregular heart beat ¾ ¾ Fatigue ¾ ¾ Failing memory ¾ ¾ Confusion ¾ ¾ Shortness of breath ¾ ¾ Gastrointestinal disturbances ¾ ¾ Anxiety ¾ ¾ Bleeding from nose ¾ ¾ Excess sweating ¾ ¾ Tinnitus or ringing in the ears The extent of symptoms depends on the elevation of the blood