I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that healthcare is a big part of the Canadian identity. However, our numbers on blood pressure-related heart attacks haven’t improved much over past several years. Meanwhile, research has continued to show that when blood pressure is below the previous “high-normal” zone (130-139 systolic and 80-89 diastolic), the risk of heart attack continues to drop. So, Canada has made an update.
As of this week, hypertension officially begins at a systolic of 130 mm HG or over. This brings us up to speed with European, U.S., and WHO standards.
So, what does all of this mean? And what does it mean for you, in particular, FRIEND? Well, you should certainly know your blood pressure. And if you happen to be one of the millions of Canadians who now find themselves in (newly) risky territory, here are the biggest levers for reducing your blood pressure.
Salt reduction
Aim for under five grams of salt (2300 milligrams of sodium) per day. Reducing your consumption of ultra-processed and restaurant foods is the simplest way to do this. According to the WHO, “In adults ≥18 years of age, a modest reduction in salt intake for ≥4 weeks led to a reduction of 4 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 2 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.”
Exercise and daily movement
30-60 minutes of daily aerobic exercise (moderate intensity) has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by nearly 4 mm HG. I know a place, by the way.
Stress reduction
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by 4-5 mm HG. I’ll also remind you that mindfulness can be beautifully layered onto just about any kind of physical movement, from walking to kettlebell complexes.
Alcohol reduction
If you put away more than two drinks per day, halving your consumption is perhaps the quickest and most dramatic way to drop your blood pressure, with an average drop of 5.5 mm HG.
Sleep consistency, quality and duration
Poor sleep quality and duration are linked to higher blood pressure — and a 9-17% higher risk of hypertension. Even a 30-minute fluctuation in bedtime can mess with you.
Weight control
There is a relationship between weight loss and blood pressure. However, rather than point at specific numbers, I want to draw your attention to timeline, where more modest weight loss maintained over the long-term has the greatest potential for reduction of risk. So, simply following the above guidelines while avoiding a caloric surplus (averaged over weeks and months) will do most of the work for you.
Fear and loathing
More and more, I feel like we have to note and monitor some of the strongest emotional reactions to any kind of public health communications. Those who argue about the risks of climate change and communicable diseases often claim that They want you to be afraid. They also want you sick so that they can sell you the cure. And while I find kind of conspiracy thinking to be a bit overwrought, research be supported by pharmaceutical companies and valid at the same time. It can be both. So… caveat emptor, I guess. However, if we’re going by the book here, lifestyle intervention is prioritized here and no new medication is being advised unless you already have a high cardiovascular risk.
We want preventative medicine, right? A healthcare system, not a sick-care system. You hear that a lot. So, that can only possibly mean earlier interventions. And the earlier the intervention, the more relaxed we can be. That’s because we begin the process way, way upstream of actual emergencies. Here we have the luxury of making gentle course corrections — and nobody has to have a literal heart attack about it.
No matter what, best practice is still to walk the middle path. Move every day. Eat homemade food. Avoid unnecessary bullshit. Don’t rock 'n' roll all night and/or party every day. And find relationships that make it easier to do all of the above.
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