With “World Heart Day” coming up on September 29th, this is the perfect month to commit to a few simple goals that will help you protect your heart health. One of the most important things you can do to protect your heart (and your brain) is to prevent or manage high blood pressure—and most of the factors influencing blood pressure are under your control.
Under Pressure. The first number, the systolic blood pressure, is the pressure on the artery walls when the heart contracts and pushes blood out into the arteries. The second number, the diastolic pressure, is a measure of the pressure on the artery walls when the heart is at rest between beats.
The artery walls need to stretch when the heart pushes blood into them. Blood pressure gets higher if the artery walls lose elasticity and cannot stretch adequately, or if the volume of blood increases (due to water retention because of too much dietary sodium, for example). Over time, the increased pressure on the blood vessel walls can create an environment that allows atherosclerotic plaque to build up. This plaque makes the walls stiffer and narrower, which results in even higher blood pressure.
Try these tips to keep your blood pressure under control:
➧ Eat Well. Consuming foods containing less sodium and more potassium can help lower blood pressure. This means choosing more whole or minimally processed foods in place of processed foods.
➧ Get Moving. You don’t have to run a marathon or join a boot camp. Just find something you like to do that will be sustainable.
➧ Limit Alcohol. If you don’t want to cut out alcohol entirely, at least cut back. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women.
➧ Avoid Tobacco. Smoking and vaping are associated with higher blood pressure.
➧ Lose Weight. Losing even five to 10 percent of your body weight can make a big difference to your blood pressure. Weight loss is not easy, but healthy dietary choices (along with portion control) and more movement are often enough to make a difference.
The Silent Threat. High blood pressure—also known as hypertension—generally has no symptoms, but it is extremely damaging to your health. Atherosclerotic plaque is the leading cause of chest pain (angina), heart attack, and stroke. In the presence of less flexible and narrower blood vessels, the heart needs to work harder, which contributes to heart failure. High blood pressure also effects the brain. Hypertension increases stroke risk and, as brain cells receive less and less oxygen and nutrients through plaque-narrowed vessels, risk for cognitive decline increases.
Lifestyle changes and medications are a powerful combination for lowering blood pressure. In some cases, lifestyle changes allow people to cut the dose of medication that is needed to control their blood pressure. Everyone can benefit from blood-pressure-friendly lifestyle choices. “The advice we give to control high blood pressure also prevents it,” says Hannah Wolf, MS, RD, an ambulatory dietitian at Tufts Medical Center.
The Food Fix. Dietary intake has a definite impact on blood pressure. The most important blood-pressure related nutrients are sodium and potassium. High sodium intake increases blood pressure, and adequate dietary intake of foods that supply potassium can help lower blood pressure or keep it in a normal range.
“There is a lot of evidence behind the DASH and Mediterranean-style dietary patterns for controlling blood pressure,” says Wolf. These research-backed patterns are both higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts than the typical American diet. These naturally low-sodium foods are excellent sources potassium (and other nutrients that support general health). You can learn more about these dietary patterns, or customize a pattern that best suits your preferences and lifestyle by following a few simple rules:
➧ Limit Sodium: “We need some sodium in our diets,” says Wolf, “but excess can definitely have a negative impact on our health.” Unfortunately, most Americans consume more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day. Research shows even modest reductions in salt intake can result in reduced blood pressure over time.
Added salt (sodium chloride) is the primary source of sodium in our diets. “Only around 11 percent of the sodium in our diets comes from table salt,” says Wolf. “The bulk comes from processed foods and restaurant meals. Cutting out highly processed foods naturally lowers added sodium.”
➧ Eat Plants: “Eating plenty of naturally low-sodium fruits, vegetables, legumes, and unsalted nuts and seeds ensures you get minerals that help support healthy blood pressure, including potassium,” says Wolf. “These minimally processed plant foods also provide fiber, which is another dietary component research shows may help lower blood pressure.” (See page 2 for more information.)
Other Lifestyle Choices. In addition to making heart-healthy dietary choices, 
losing weight, moving more, limiting alcohol, avoiding tobacco, getting adequate sleep, and limiting or managing stress all help prevent and treat high blood pressure.
Find out what your blood pressure is. If it is high, work with your healthcare professional to bring it down. In addition to lifestyle changes, medication may be necessary. Making the lifestyle changes discussed here can lower your blood pressure, so your medication dose may need to be reduced. Monitor your blood pressure regularly at home so you can see how you’re doing. Be sure to share any significant lifestyle or blood pressure changes with your healthcare provider.
Set a goal that moves you toward better blood-pressure control. Your heart (and your brain) will thank you.