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To help control or lower your high blood pressure, you should make
changes in your lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle refers to all the things
you can do for yourself to make your quality of life better and stay as
healthy as possible. There are many activities you can do to maintain a
healthy lifestyle. Some examples are:
Maintain a healthy weight: Excess body weight raises blood
pressure, leads to high cholesterol, and is a risk factor for diabetes
(high blood sugar). Losing as little as 10 pounds can be very helpful in
reducing blood pressure and lowering the risk for many diseases which
affect the heart and blood vessels.
 Exercise:
Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to
prevent or control high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be
lowered with moderately intense exercise, such as 30 to 45 minutes of
brisk walking or bicycling 4 to 6 days a week. Talk to your doctor before
starting an exercise program.
Limit Salt (Sodium) Intake: Lowering your salt intake is important
to keeping blood pressure at a healthy level. Don’t add salt to your
food, follow recipes from a low-salt cookbook, choose low-salt snacks and
stay away from processed foods and most of the food in
"fast-food" restaurants.
Limit Alcohol Intake: Drinking too much alcohol can raise your
blood pressure. If you drink, limiting your intake of alcohol—to one
can of beer, glass of wine, or mixed drink per day—helps control blood
pressure.
 Follow the DASH
Diet: Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, potassium
(like bananas and cantaloupe), calcium and magnesium (like spinach and
beans); low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol; and moderately
high in protein with low-fat dairy products. Talk with your doctor about
nutritional counseling if you need help with heart-healthy eating.
Take prescribed medications as directed: You may need medication
to lower your blood pressure. It is important to take all medications
your doctor prescribes and not take yourself off your medication even if
you are feeling better.
Quit Smoking/Tobacco Use: If you smoke or use tobacco, think
seriously about quitting. Ask your doctor about HAP smoking/tobacco
cessation programs that can help. You may also receive free smoking
cessation counseling over the telephone provided by the Smoking
Intervention Program (SIP). To learn more about SIP or to enroll, call
1-888-427-7587.
Congestive
Heart Failure Coronary
Artery Disease
Stroke
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