According to the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, a blood pressure of 130/80 is considered stage 1 hypertension, instead of the older value of 140/90. These guidelines are based on a 3-year review of about 1,000 studies that showed the chances of dying from a heart attack or stroke are double with blood pressure from 130/80 to 139/89. This means that almost half the US population is now considered to have high blood pressure.
But, this does not necessarily mean you need to run to your doctor and request to be put on medication. It is, however, a wake-up call for a lot of people who fall into this category to be more proactive about their health. The treatment recommendations for stage 1 hypertension are lifestyle-driven, which is how we initially treat most medical conditions in our practice. Focusing on a plant-based nutrient-rich diet, decreasing alcohol, managing stress, and getting regular exercise are key to lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease.
While sodium intake often gets a reputation for being the main contributing factor to elevated blood pressure, it is important to look at other minerals like potassium and magnesium as well. Research shows that an increased intake of potassium from food sources may be more effective than reducing dietary sodium intake. Magnesium has also been studied for reducing blood pressure with research showing an inverse relationship between dietary magnesium intake and high blood pressure. We offer IV magnesium in our IV Spa that can have many benefits, including improvement of high blood pressure.
So, although the majority of Americans affected by stage 1 hypertension won’t need medication, they will need to make lifestyle changes. If you have high blood pressure and are looking to learn more about ways to control it, give us a call at 850-269-9000.
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