Diet and Health Guidelines to

Lower Risk of High Blood

Pressure
Presented by
Janice Hermann, PhD, RD/LD
OCES Adult and Older Adult Nutrition
Specialist

What Is Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure on

the blood vessel walls

A blood pressure reading consists of two

numbers, for example 120/80

The first number is called systolic

Pressure when the heart contracts
The second number is called

diastolic

Pressure when the heart is resting

between contractions

How is Blood Pressure Classified

Recommended
Blood Pressure
Borderline-high
Blood Pressure
High Blood
Pressure

Systolic mm Hg Diastolic mm Hg
< 120
< 80
120-139

80-89

140

90

Diagnosing High Blood

Pressure
To diagnose high blood pressure you

need two high blood pressure

readings, taken several weeks apart,
with either the systolic or diastolic or
both consistently above 140/90
Blood pressure changes throughout the

day
Just going to the doctor may make some
peoples blood pressure rise

Diagnosing High Blood

Pressure
High blood pressure can progress

silently and without symptoms

Estimated 1/3 of people with high blood

pressure and are unaware

However, with detection and proper

treatment high blood pressure can be

controlled
People need to have their blood pressure

checked regularly, at least every two years

Children Should Have Blood

Pressure Checked Too
Children should have blood pressure

checked regularly too

High blood pressure in children may
signal an underlying disease or early
onset of high blood pressure

Effect of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a serious

health problem
High blood pressure causes the heart
to work harder, and over time may
damage blood vessels
Damage to blood vessels in the heart may

increase the risk of heart disease

Damage to blood vessels in the brain may
increase the risk of stroke
Damage to blood vessels in the kidney
may increase the risk of kidney damage

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure arises from:
Contractions of the heart muscle that
pump blood away from the heart (cardiac
output) and
Resistance that blood encounters as it
moves through the arteries (peripheral
resistance)
When either cardiac output or

peripheral resistance increases,

blood pressure rises

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Cardiac output is raised when:
Heart rate increases
Blood volume increases
Sodium retention
Fluid retention

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Peripheral resistance is mostly

affected by physical and chemical

signals that alter the blood vessel
diameter
Signals from the nervous system

influence the hearts pumping activity

and blood vessel diameter
Signals from hormones promote fluid
retention and blood vessel constriction
The kidneys also control section of
hormones involved in sodium and water
retention and blood vessel constriction

Causes of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a very complex

condition
Primary or essential hypertension
develops without an identifiable cause
(95%)
Most cases of high blood pressure have no

identifiable cause
Secondary hypertension is caused by a

specific disorder (5%)

Usually due to abnormalities in organs or

hormones involved in regulating blood

pressure

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Causes of secondary hypertension
Chronic kidney disease interferes with
the removal of sodium and water from
the blood, thus increasing blood volume
and blood pressure
Atherosclerosis in the renal blood
vessels may cause increased production
of hormones that stimulate water
retention and blood vessel constriction

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Causes of secondary hypertension
Artery stiffness and thickening due to
age, diabetes, atherosclerosis and other
reasons can increase resistance to blood
flow, increasing blood pressure
Hormonal disorders, including some
thyroid diseases and adrenal disorders,
can also cause high blood pressure

Risk Factors
There are factors that may affect high

blood pressure

Family history of high blood pressure

Being overweight
Increasing age
Physical inactivity
Smoking
Diabetes
High sodium intake (sodium sensitive

people)
High alcohol intake
High fat diet
Low potassium, calcium and magnesium
intake

Family History
High blood pressure tends to run in

families
People in the same family may have
similar lifestyle and dietary habits
that increase their risk of developing
high blood pressure
High blood pressure is more
prevalent and severe among African
Americans

Overweight
Being overweight is a risk for high

blood pressure

Carrying excess weight in the abdomen

is a greater risk for high blood pressure

than carrying excess weight in the hips
and thighs

Bringing weight down may be all

some people need to do to control

their blood pressure

Obesity
Rate of high blood pressure

increases with overweight

Rate of High
Men
Blood Pressure

Women

Obese
Healthy weight

32%
16%

38%
18%

Weight Management
Weight management

recommendations are:
To maintain body weight in a healthy

range, balance calories from foods and

beverages with calories expended
To prevent gradual weight gain over
time, make small decreases in food and
beverage calories and increase physical
activity

Age
Blood pressure tends to increase with

age
Men typically begin having an increase in

blood pressure by age 45 to 50

Women typically begin having an increase
in blood pressure after menopause
However, just because you get older

doesnt mean you will develop high

blood pressure

Physical Activity
Physical activity can help you:
Lose weight
Lower total cholesterol
Lower LDL-cholesterol
Lower triglycerides
Increase HDL-cholesterol
All of which can lower the risk of:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Obesity

Physical Activity
Engage in regular physical activity and

reduce sedentary activities to promote

health, psychological well-being, and a
healthy body weight
Physical activity recommendations

are:
150 minutes of moderate-intensity per

week or
75 minutes of vigorous-intensity per week

Smoking
Smoking increases your risk of high

blood pressure

Smoking raises blood pressure level and

heart rate
Smoking lowers HDL-cholesterol
Smoking increases the tendency of
blood to clot

Diabetes
High blood pressure is more

common in people who have

uncontrolled diabetes
Insulin resistance, commonly
associated with obesity, signals the
pancreas to produce more insulin
High insulin signals the kidneys to retain

sodium and thus may increase the risk

of developing high blood pressure

Sodium
Your kidneys regulate the sodium

level in your body

Most people aren't affected by
excess dietary sodium because their
bodies just get rid of excess sodium
in the urine

Sodium Sensitive People

However, some people are sodium-

sensitive
For sodium-sensitive individuals, too
much sodium in the diet can
increase blood pressure

Sodium Sensitive People

For sodium-sensitive people,

lowering sodium intake may help

lower blood pressure
55% white
73% African Americans

Unfortunately, theres no easy way

to know who may be a sodiumsensitive individual

Sodium Sensitive People

People most likely to be sodium-

sensitive:
Family history of high blood pressure
Chronic kidney disease
Diabetes
African American
Over 50 years of age
Overweight

How Much Sodium

Dietary Guidelines recommend
People reduce daily sodium intake to less
than 2,300 mg (approximately 1
teaspoon of salt) and
Further reduce sodium intake to less than
1,500 mg sodium among those:
51 years of age or older
of any age who are African American or have

hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney

disease

How Much Sodium

The DRI for sodium is:
1,500 mg/day for people 19-50 years of
age
1,300 mg/day for people 51-70 years of
age
1,200 mg/day for people >70 years of age
The Upper Level for sodium intake for

adults is 2,300 mg/day

On average, most adults consume
significantly more, 4,000 to 6,000
milligrams of sodium daily

Where Is Sodium
As much as 75% of the sodium in

your diet comes from salt added to

foods during processing
About 15% comes from salt added
during cooking and at the table
Only 10% comes from the natural
content in foods

Replacing Sodium Losses

Although you lose sodium and some

other minerals in perspiration, the

amount lost is usually small
Regular meals and snacks eaten after

physical activity will normally replace

electrolytes (sodium and potassium) lost in
perspiration
In extreme heat beverages containing

electrolytes such as Gatorade or

Powerade help replace fluids and
electrolytes lost in perspiration

Alcohol
Heavy alcohol consumption, 3 or more

drinks daily, is strongly associated with

increased risk of high blood pressure
Effect of moderate alcohol intake on blood

pressure unknown
Recommended alcohol intake is:
Not more than one alcoholic drink a day for
women
Not more than two alcoholic drinks a day
for men

Alcohol
Role of alcohol with high blood

pressure is unclear
May contribute extra calories which

may increase body weight

Fat, Trans Fat, Saturated Fat &

Cholesterol
High fat, trans fat, saturated fat and

cholesterol intakes are linked to high

cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and
triglycerides which contributes to
atherosclerosis and high blood
pressure
Atherosclerosis narrows the blood
vessels and decreases blood flow to
the kidneys

Fat, Trans Fat, Saturated Fat &

Cholesterol
The kidneys try to increase blood flow

to the kidneys by expanding blood

volume and constricting smaller blood
vessels
However, blood pressure increases not
only in the kidneys, but all over the
body, which further damages blood
vessels and increases atherosclerosis

Fat, Trans Fat, Saturated Fat &

Cholesterol
Lowering total fat, saturated fat,

cholesterol and trans fat helps lower

blood cholesterol and triglycerides,
which may lower atherosclerosis
Reducing fat helps with weight loss,
which may lower blood pressure

Fat, Trans Fat, Saturated

Fat & Cholesterol
Recommendations are:
Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 % of
calories, with most fats coming from
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats
Consume less than 10 percent of calories
from saturated fatty acids
Consume less than 300 mg/day of
cholesterol
Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low
as possible

Other Dietary Factors

Too little of some other nutrients

including potassium, calcium and

magnesium, may have an important
link to high blood pressure
Adequate intakes of these minerals
may have a protective effect against
high blood pressure

Other Dietary Factors

Potassium has roles with:
Maintaining fluid balance
Muscle contraction
Calcium has roles with:
Activating messengers that help maintain
normal blood pressure
Magnesium has roles with:
Heart function
Lessening blood vessel constriction

Other Dietary Factors

Fruits and vegetables are good

sources of potassium
Milk and dairy products are a good
source of all three nutrients
The best guideline is to follow the
USDA Daily Food Plan

Other Dietary Factors

For some individuals potassium may

be beneficial, but for individuals with

kidney problems potassium may be
restricted.
Check with your doctor before using
a potassium chloride salt substitute.

Emotional Stress
For some people, stress may be a

factor for high blood pressure

Learning how to relieve stress
improves the overall quality of one's
life

Lower Risk of High Blood

Pressure

Follow Dietary Guidelines

Maintain a healthy weight
Be physically active each day
Consume ample fruits, vegetables or dairy
products to provide calcium, potassium, and
magnesium
Keep total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and
cholesterol intakes within recommended levels
Keep sodium intake below 2,300 mg or 1,500
mg
Use alcohol in moderation
Abstain from smoking
Keep diabetes in control