More and more people are getting high blood pressure, or
hypertension. In the US, an estimated 86 million adults had high
blood pressure in 2011. Incredibly, this means that hypertension
hits more than one third of all Americans. Why is this so bad,
and what is hypertension anyway? Blood pressure is a measure of
how hard your heart is working. Having hypertension means that
the blood pressure in your arteries is more or less constantly
elevated, and that makes your heart needs to strain to remain
functioning and to circulate blood throughout your body. That is
why when you have hypertension, you run a greater risk of
getting of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or an aortic
aneurysm. How do you deal with hypertension? The first plan of
action should be dietary changes, weight loss, and exercise. One
great way to lower blood pressure is to switch to a diet rich in
whole grains, nuts, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits while
limiting your salt intake. This diet is rich in protein,
calcium, potassium, and