Hypertension (high blood pressure) impacts 1 in 3 people in the UK. It happens when blood moves through your arteries with too much force. It is more common in men than women. However, a lot of cases are undiagnosed because it doesn’t cause any clear symptoms.¹

If you have high blood pressure, it can lead to more serious conditions, such as:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Kidney disease.²

High blood pressure can be prevented. By making lifestyle changes you can reverse its effects.

Losing approximately 5 to 10% of your weight can improve your blood pressure.³

When you don’t have a healthy diet, you have more low-density lipoproteins (LDL), a type of cholesterol, in your blood. This causes plaque to build up in your arteries which narrows them, making it more difficult for blood to flow. This makes your heart work harder, leading to high blood pressure.⁴

The effects of LDL can be improved when you lose weight. This is because your levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) increase, which helps shrink the plaque in your arteries.^3,4

To manage your weight, make sure you have a nutritious diet. This means eating mostly fruit and veg, along with lean meats, fish or plant-based protein. You should avoid processed food such as pasta and bread as well as snacks high in sugar and fat.⁵

There are different ways you can support your heart health through what you eat, such as, reducing your salt.

Some salt in your diet is essential for the movement of water around the body. However, too much salt can lead to water retention which increases your blood pressure. You should not consume more than 6 grams of salt in a day.⁶

In addition, a diet high in potassium can help keep blood pressure under control. This is because potassium helps remove salt from your blood. Potassium can be found in foods such as salmon, bananas and avocados.^7,8

One diet in particular that encompasses these principles is the DASH diet. It stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The core principles of the DASH diet are:

• Limit salt to 1 teaspoon per day
• Choose foods high in potassium, calcium, magnesium and protein
• Avoid foods high in saturated fat.⁹

When following the DASH diet, you need to make sure you are also cutting back on alcohol and caffeine as they can increase blood pressure.⁹

Exercise makes your heart stronger. This means it can pump more blood with less effort, making it more efficient. This leads to improvements in both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure.¹⁰

Your systolic pressure measures the force it takes for your heart to pump blood around your body. Your diastolic pressure records the pressure in between heartbeats.¹¹

Try to exercise daily and for at least 150 minutes a week. Exercise can range from walking, dancing or even gardening. All physical activity is good for you. For optimal results, combine cardio and with muscle workouts. This can not only ensure you lose the pounds but also improve your metabolism so that you burn calories throughout the day, even when you are resting.^12,13

If you prefer, you can ramp up your exercise to 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. This would entail any exercise that makes you breathe hard and fast – so this could be running, football, gymnastics or skipping.¹²

Stress can be detrimental to your health, especially if you have chronic stress.¹⁴

The ‘fight or flight’ response is your body’s internal stress response. It prepares us for potential danger.¹⁴

During stress, your hypothalamus releases different hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate to prepare you to act. Your hormone levels will not drop until the stressful trigger has gone.¹⁴

If you are stressed for a long time, your adrenaline and cortisol will remain high. This can lead to inflammation in your body and damage your cells, which can cause several conditions, such as weight gain, heart disease, weakened immunity and insomnia.¹⁴

You can overcome stress through self-help techniques and professional support. To manage stress, you can:

• Practice mindfulness, such as deep breathing and meditation
• Carry out a hobby such as painting, knitting or cooking
• Carry out regular exercise to get more oxygen in your blood and reduce muscle tension
• Seek professional support through counselling services either privately or via the NHS.

Drinking over 14 units of alcohol a week can increase your blood pressure. This is because alcohol can cause a spike in your adrenaline which leads to a more rapid heart rate and blood pressure.^15,16

Smoking also has a negative impact on your blood pressure by damaging the walls of your blood vessels. This can lead to fatty deposits in your arteries, making them narrow so blood can’t flow as easily, making your heart work harder.¹⁷

NHS services are available to help you cut down on alcohol and cigarettes. These services are designed to support you on your journey and provide medical advice where required.

You can also call in at your local Well Pharmacy to access your in-house stop smoking and alcohol misuse service. You will have one-to-one support from one of your pharmacists in a private consultation room. They will help you find ways to quit and help you access support where needed.

You may not get any symptoms if you have high blood pressure. So, it is important to monitor it, especially if you are over 40. Some people may experience headaches, chest pain or blurred vision, however, this is rare.¹⁸

You can get free blood pressure checks if you’re over 40 from your local pharmacy. You can also monitor it at home. If you have consistently high blood pressure, your GP will be able to advise you on the best way forward.¹⁸

There are medicines available if you are unable to manage your blood pressure with lifestyle changes alone. Your doctor will advise you on which medication is best for your needs.