Understand hypertension risk factors
Your blood pressure is regulated by your genes, diet and lifestyle. Genetic factors play a big role in predisposing you to a certain degree of risk for hypertension. People with a family member who has high blood pressure have a higher risk, as do people with Type A or Type D personality who become stressed easily. Common risk variants have been identified in genes including ACE, AGTR1, ATP2B1, NOS3 and ADRB2, all of which are involved in blood volume control, vascular resistance and stress response.
Carrying a risk gene variant doesn’t mean you will have high blood pressure. However, if you have a diet or live a lifestyle that is incompatible with your genes, your chances of having high blood pressure increase dramatically. About 33% of adult Americans have hypertension and 28% have prehypertension. Diets high in sodium and saturated fat and low in calcium, magnesium and potassium are the most common dietary risk factors. Stress, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, diabetes and being overweight also increase risk.
To mitigate your risk of hypertension, effective prevention is the priority:
- Use GB Health 360 to track your diet and lifestyle, and discover how they correlate with your blood pressure.
- Eat foods that lowers blood pressure and avoid high-sodium foods.
- Live an active lifestyle, avoid smoking, and limit alcohol.
- Manage stress well.
For those who already have hypertension, blood pressure management with medication is the priority, in addition to the dietary and lifestyle practices mentioned above.