The DASH diet
The US National Heart Lung and Blood Institute developed the DASH diet for people with high blood pressure. U.S. News & World Report in January 2017 ranked the DASH diet as the best overall diet for the seventh year in a row.1
Standing for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, DASH has been specially formulated to help people lower blood pressure. It is a flexible and balanced eating plan based on research studies sponsored by the institute, which says the diet:
- Lowers high blood pressure
- Improves levels of blood lipids (fats in the bloodstream)
- Reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Prehypertension – what it is and what to do about it
Prehypertension is a warning sign that you may get high blood pressure in the future. High blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and kidney failure. There's no cure for high blood pressure, but there is treatment with diet, lifestyle habits, and medications.
Hypertension: Ways to Control and Prevent
High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when your blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels. Your blood pressure measurement considers how quickly blood is passing through your veins and the amount of resistance the blood meets while it’s pumping. Click here for more information on hypertension.
To control your hypertension, you can either take medicine prescribed by your doctor or try lifestyle changes first. If your blood pressure is very high - higher than 160/100, or when either number is higher – it is recommended that you start with medicine to lower it immediately. Either way, you will need to adjust your lifestyle to live more of a heart-healthy lifestyle and lower your risk for heart attack and stroke.