Longevity Bloomington Newsletter #7 - Blood Pressure

May 07, 2022

Research Roundup: Blood Pressure

What is "high" blood pressure?

Recently revised guidelines define high blood pressure for adults as systolic readings (top number) of 130 mmHg or higher or diastolic readings (bottom number) of 80 mmHg or higher.

The guidelines have been lowered based on recent research showing that adults aged 50 and older who reduced their systolic blood pressure below 120 mmHg significantly lowered their risk for heart attack, heart failure or stroke by 25%, compared with adults with a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg. They also reduced their risk of death by 27%(SPRINT study).

Why should you care about high blood pressure?

Elevated blood pressure is the leading cause of death in the world and the second leading cause of disability (He, 2007). It significantly increases the risk for stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. Unfortunately, most people that have high blood pressure do not have any symptoms. This is why it's so important to monitor your blood pressure.

How much do you need to lower your blood pressure to have a positive effect on your health?

Fortunately, you can make a significant impact on your health with a modest blood pressure reduction. A 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure reduces the risk of major cardiovascular disease events by 20%, coronary heart disease by 17%, stroke by 27%, heart failure by 28%, and death by 13%(Ettehad, 2016). As you will see below, you can easily reduce your blood pressure by 10 mmHg with a variety of lifestyle interventions.

Proven Ways to Prevent or Lower High Blood Pressure

Exercise (4 -12 mmHg reduction)

Exercise has consistently been shown to reduce blood pressure (Cornelissen, 2013). Both aerobic exercise and strength training have exhibited the ability to reduce blood pressure but aerobic exercise seems to have a larger effect.

A study from 2012 looked at the effect of aerobic interval training on blood pressure. The group performed 4 x 4 minute exercise intervals (90% heart rate max(!)) on a treadmill with a 3 minute active pause between intervals (60-70% heart rate max). They performed this three times per week for twelve weeks. The total exercise time with warm-up and cool down was 38 minutes (Molmen-Hansen, 2012).

What did they find? The exercise group reduced their top blood pressure number by an average of 12 mmHg and 28% of the group reduced their top number more than 15 mmHg. Additionally, 24% of the group became "normotone" meaning they reduced their blood pressure enough to no longer be considered to have high blood pressure (less than 130 mmHg)!

To put these numbers in perspective, the amount of blood pressure reduction the exercise group experienced is similar in magnitude to a single antihypertensive drug! This was all done in just 38 minutes, three times per week.

Healthy Diet (11 mmHg reduction)

The diet with the most evidence to lower blood pressure is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The DASH diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure as much as 11 mmHg (Appel, 1997).

The DASH diet is a flexible eating approach that includes foods with high amounts of potassium, calcium and magnesium and low amounts of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. The DASH diet is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans and nuts. Here is a sample menu of the DASH diet from the Mayo Clinic.

Other diets have been shown to modestly reduce blood pressure but none are as well studied as the DASH diet. In general, eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables with low amounts of sugar and sodium should aid in reducing your blood pressure.

Reduced Sodium Intake (4 -6 mmHg reduction)

Reducing the amount of sodium in your diet can lower your blood pressure (He, 2013). Aim for no more than 2300 mg per day of sodium. The majority of sodium in the US diet comes from packaged and restaurant food, not the salt shaker.

Here are some ways to lower sodium in your diet:

Make more meals at home
Use alternatives to reduce the amount of salt you use, such as garlic, citrus juice, salt-free seasonings, or spices.
Buy fresh products whenever possible
Read the food label and choose the item with less sodium
Use less sauces, dressings and condiments
Limit "instant" products such as flavored rice and ready-made pasta
Keep takeout and fast food to an occasional treat

Increased Potassium Intake (4 -5 mmHg reduction)

Another way to lower your blood pressure is to increase the potassium in your diet (Aburto, 2013). You should aim to get 4700 mg/day of potassium.

Food high in potassium:

Avocados
Sweet Potatoes
Spinach
Beans
Broccoli
Bananas

Reduced Alcohol Intake (4 mmHg reduction)

Consuming three or more alcoholic drinks per day results in an elevation of blood pressure. Reducing this intake to two or less drinks per day will aid in bringing those numbers down (Xin, 2001)

Weight Loss (5 mmHg reduction)

If you are overweight, losing weight can bring your blood pressure under control (Neter, 2003). The more excess weight you lose, the more your blood pressure will lower. You can expect to lower your blood pressure by 1 mmHg for every 2 pounds of weight loss.

Medication

The strategies above are not replacements for blood pressure lowering prescription medication. Consult with your doctor prior to making any changes to your medication.