High blood pressure prevention knowledge lecture

As long as you insist on controlling your weight within a BMI of 24 for a long time, consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day, complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week, and quit smoking and limit alcohol, 90% of essential hypertension can be postponed and may not even come to your doorstep for a lifetime.

Last month, Aunt Zhang from Building 3 of our community came to me to check her blood pressure. She has just retired and looks very energetic. She dances square dance every day. The high pressure was 158 and the low pressure was 97, which is the diagnostic standard for hypertension. She was confused herself, saying that I don’t smoke or drink, so why did I get this disease? When I asked, I found out that she couldn't live without her own pickled radish, and she added two spoonfuls of sauce to stir-fry green vegetables. She was 1.58 meters tall and almost weighed 140 pounds. She usually stood in the back row and swayed slowly during square dances, which meant she didn't get enough exercise at all. When these little habits are put together, your blood pressure will rise quietly.

Recently, many people have come to ask me, saying that the Internet says that a vegetarian diet can prevent high blood pressure. Does this mean that if I eat vegetables every day in the future, I will be fine? In fact, there are different opinions in the academic circles on this matter. The traditional view of nutrition circles is that reducing the intake of saturated fat can reduce the risk of vascular sclerosis and is definitely beneficial to blood pressure control. ； But the clinical data we have tracked in recent years also shows that many vegetarian patients still suffer from high blood pressure - think about it, white rice with pickles every meal, vegetarian steamed buns with half a bottle of soy sauce to enhance the flavor, and daily love to eat plums and preserved fruits as snacks. The invisible salt in these things adds up to more than 10 grams a day, which is higher than the salt intake of people who eat lean meat every meal. How can blood pressure be lowered?

I used to be a heavy-mouthed person, and I always felt that there was too little salt and no flavor when cooking. Later, Corey asked our medical staff to set an example of salt control first, so I bought a 2-gram salt spoon. When I first stir-fry a plate of vegetables, I put a spoon in it, and it tasted like no salt. Later, I learned to use minced garlic, white pepper, crushed lemon, and mushroom powder to enhance the flavor. I gradually got used to it. Now when I go out to restaurants, I feel that it is too salty to swallow. By the way, there is also the takeaway that everyone loves. I ordered a braised chicken last time and poured water over the dish. The bowl of water was so salty that I couldn’t drink it. The salt in that dish was at least 8 grams. In one meal, I used up all the salt I should eat for the day. If I eat like this every day, no matter how much exercise I do, it will be useless.

Others asked, why is my blood pressure still high even though I walk 20,000 steps a day? The same goes for this. Friends who engage in exercise rehabilitation always tell me that moving is better than not moving. Even walking for half an hour after meals every day can help metabolize part of the salt. ； But the consensus of our cardiology department is that to achieve the effect of preventing high blood pressure, it is best to exercise at a moderate intensity - that is, the level where you can talk normally but cannot sing coherently while exercising. You can walk fast, jog, do Tai Chi, or swim. There is no need to cram in the number of steps. There was a 70-year-old patient who listened to the health advice and walked 30,000 steps a day. In the end, his knees were so worn that he needed surgery, and his blood pressure did not drop. Why? He walked too slowly, as if he were visiting a vegetable market. He had to chat with old acquaintances for a long time, and his heart rate didn't rise at all, so it was useless no matter how much he walked.

Oh, by the way, there are two other triggers that are particularly easy to ignore, one is staying up late and the other is long-term anxiety. Last year, a 28-year-old young man came for a physical examination. He was as thin as a bamboo pole. He neither smoked nor drank, and ate light food. When his blood pressure was measured, it was 160/100, which scared him silly. After asking, I found out that he was engaged in game development and went to bed at two or three in the morning every day for three years. Later, he changed his job from 9 to 5 and went to bed before 11 o'clock every day. After adjusting for three months, he took another test. His blood pressure dropped directly to 120/75 without taking any medicine. There are also people who are usually competitive and get angry over trivial things, and their blood pressure is easy to rise. There is an old doctor in our department who is usually good at everything, but he likes to get angry when playing chess with others. When he lost last time, his face turned pale, and his blood pressure was 180, and he was almost hospitalized, so it is also important to have a calm mind.

Oh, yes, don’t feel anxious after listening to today’s lecture, as if eating a bite of pickles will cause high blood pressure, it won’t happen. This disease is originally caused by long-term bad habits. Occasionally craving for something salty or staying up late once in a while will not have any big impact at all, as long as you don't do this every day. If your parents or grandparents have high blood pressure and are in a high-risk group, you can have your blood pressure measured once every six months for early detection and early intervention. There is nothing to be afraid of.

Okay, that’s pretty much what I’m going to talk about today. If you have any questions, you can raise your hands and ask.