OMRON Healthcare Europe shine a light on the state of hypertension and explore the top ten tips to live a long and strong life with zero compromise in 2019.
The beginning of a New Year inevitably leads to moments of self-reflection. As we say goodbye to 2018, we aim to step energetically into 2019 with the best of intentions to live our best year yet.
But what will help us do this? We often hear health, family and friends are the key components to a happy and fulfilling life. For this article, we want to shine the warm spotlight on health and highlight the value in respecting your wellbeing throughout the year ahead.
We all want to live a long and strong life with zero compromise and, as January dawns, it is important to focus on the tips and tools that will help us take ownership of our own lives.
As we sign up to the new gym membership, embark on a month of green juice drinks, and add extra orders of vegetables to our shop, we should also pay heed to the current headlines hitting the newspapers warning of the rise of silent diseases such as hypertension.
Hypertension is the No. 1 contributing risk factor for global death – causing strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications. 10 million lives are lost each year needlessly due to raised blood pressure and only half of people with high blood pressure are aware of this. Ultimately, these fatalities are preventable [1]. Just by checking your blood pressure regularly, you can make sure you are on the right track or make informed health decisions if your blood pressure values are higher than normal.
As individuals, we need to equip ourselves with the facts and reality of our health. Below are our top tips to combatting hypertension and embracing a healthy heart in 2019!
GET TO KNOW YOURSELF
The truth is, almost anyone can suffer from hypertension. Although there are those who are at higher risk of being inflicted, including the obese, elderly, diabetic and pregnant, as well as heavy smokers and individuals under a great deal of stress, the bottom line is you don’t need to fall into any of these specific demographics to suffer from hypertension. It can affect virtually anyone!
For example, the state of obesity has tripled from 1975 and 2016 [2] and obesity is proven to account for 65-75% of the risk for essential hypertension [3] . People with high blood pressure also have up to a 58% greater risk of developing diabetes [4] – a demographic that is increasing every year. While there is an increase in the state of hypertension for pregnant women from 5-10%.
Therefore, it is important to be more careful and more receptive to monitoring regularly your health status. As of 2018, the ESC/ESH Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension recommend the use of home blood pressure monitors as part of the diagnosis of hypertension. Half of people with high blood pressure, are unaware of it. [5] Make sure you’re in the know!
At the same time, if you are experiencing overweight, pregnancy or are a diabetic patient, the best for you is using a clinically-validated home blood pressure monitor for your specific case. For example, the new OMRON RS7 Intelli IT has been clinically validated for use in obese population and since it’s a wrist blood pressure monitor, you can take it with you easily for use on the go.
Resolution: get checked with the appropriate devices!
UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE STORY
Measuring your body mass index (BMI) and monitoring your weight only tells you half the story. You don’t have to be overweight to put your heart at risk. Even when your weight and BMI are within normal range, you may show signs of being metabolically obese if your body fat percentage and visceral fat are too high. If this is the case, while you start your journey to recovery, it is wise to embrace self-management of hypertension with the use of at home blood pressure monitoring devices.
Resolution: go beyond appearance, make sure you’re not metabolically obese.
KEEP CALM AND EAT WELL
We are all aware that eating better, has the ability to improve the status of our health. The key tips to aid a healthy heart are to:
- Reduce your salt intake to 5-6 g per day – It is proven that reducing salt intake to this level a day is equally as effective as single drug therapy [6] . In addition, it is recommended not to add salt while cooking, just take the salt shaker to the table. You’ll have a better dosing as you can actually see what you are doing!
- Moderate your alcohol consumption – The current UK guidelines are that all adults, men and women, consume no more than 14 units of alcohol a week so it is a key target to hit this intake and not exceed [7]. This is equivalent to 6 175ml glasses of wine, 6 pints of normal-strength beer or 5 pints of cider.
- Increase consumption of vegetables, fruits and low-fat diary products
Resolution: reduce your salt intake to 5-6 g per day!
IT’S A GOOD DAY, TO HAVE A GREAT WORKOUT
It’s often said that “good things come to those who sweat”. Well, to enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise. In 2018 it was predicted people in Spain are likely to have the longest life expectancy in the world by 2040. This is on account of their healthy diet and the importance they place on a brisk walk. In Spain the walk or “el paseo” is so important it has been given its own noun status and it is understood this pass time is a major contributing factor to improved health. In the UK, we go to the gym less, but 76% of us walk at least four days a week for 10 minutes or more. Let’s keep it up! It is recommended to carry out at least 30 minutes of moderate dynamic exercise 5 to 7 days per week 8 so upping those steps is a positive way forward!
Resolution: 30 minutes of exercise that involves joint movement, such as triceps, biceps or squats, at least 5 days per week!
AT HOME OR ON-THE-GO MONITORING: GET FAMILIAR WITH THE TOOLS
The positive effects of self-management rest on our individual willingness to pro-actively and regularly self-monitor. There are clinically-validated home or on-the-go blood pressure monitors that guarantee the same accuracy of results as you would receive in your GP’s office (for example, the new OMRON RS7 Intelli IT is a portable wrist device, that can be used comfortably and discreetly on the go). It is these tools that we highly recommend you use to stay on top of the control of your health.
Here is how you do it: Do not drink alcohol or caffeine at least 30 minutes before taking your readings, and rest for at least 5 minutes before taking your blood pressure. If you are using a table device, make sure you are sitting with your feet touching the ground and the angle below your knees at 90 degrees. Your elbow must rest on a table and the cuff should be placed at least 1 finger above your elbow line. Make sure you read all the instruction manuals to guarantee confident results.
Resolution: regular monitoring of your blood pressure, using clinically-validated on-the-go devices to avoid losing track of your readings!
REGULARITY AND CONTINUAL MONITORING IS KEY
It is important to note that whatever we do, we must do it REGULARLY. To see true evolution and change, we need to track results over time. We tend to regard the New Year as a decisive milestone in our existence, where we turn our whole life upside down. We promise ourselves to start from scratch and place a great deal of pressure on ourselves to see instant results. By doing this we fail to acknowledge the emotional costs that come along with such a demanding undertaking and become disheartened if we fail to see a dramatic turnaround . The key to succeeding is embrace a slower evolution and look to change your lifestyle for the long-term, not the short-term.
Resolution: embrace a slower but constant evolution!
SET ACHIEVABLE AND REALISTIC TARGETS
Don’t rush setting up challenging new targets, instead focus on making your body changes sustainable and long-lasting. Setting achievable and realistic metrics is essential to sticking to these resolutions and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that exceeds January.
Resolution: set achievable targets to avoid feeling discouraged too soon!
TRACK CHANGES WITH DATA APPS
Research has shown that proper healthcare education in combination with a reminder for medication intake improves the treatment compliance 9 . As of 1 January, make sure to use features that help you improve your self-care such as mobile apps, which track your progress and send reminders about healthy habits and medication. We live in a world that places a tantamount of importance on technology. Use technology and data to your advantage.
Resolution: track your progress over time synchronizing your health data with your smartphone!
UNDERSTAND THE RESULTS
You also need to make sure you understand your results. Choose applications that provide you with a clear overview of results, with classification and/or guide of measurements displayed on a weekly, monthly or yearly overviews. Apps have been designed to support your journey to a healthier lifestyle, giving valuable insight into the factors that can influence the future of your heart.
You can get a better picture of the health of your heart if you also track body composition key parameters – many of which can be stored on the same app you use to track your hypertension. For example, OMRON VIVA Body Composition Monitor allows users to store their data using OMRON connect, which at the same time saves your blood pressure reading history.
Resolution: synchronize data from different devices using the same app, to get a better understanding of the evolution of your health.
REMEMBER CHANGE HAPPENS SLOWLY
Change happens slowly. 2019 is about instilling a new routine and a new perspective on your health. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Take it one step at a time and ensure you stick to your new programme to live the best year you possibly can.
Resolution: Embrace the change and, most importantly: enjoy it!
References
[1] Taken from maymeasure.com (May Measurement Month, a ISH-BIHS initiative).
[2] Obesity and overweight factsheet. No. 311. March 2013. WHO.
[3] Hall E. J. et. al. Obesity-induced hypertension: interaction of neurohumoral and renal mechanisms. Circ Res. 2015 Mar 13; 116(6): 991–1006.
[4] Emdin CA et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66:1552-1562
[6] Brown M.L., 2006. OR McGregor et. Al., 1982 OR WASH accessed on 08/12/2012. [ check with Karel ]
[7] Blood Pressure UK. Online resource available at: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle/Eatingwell/Alcohol
[8] ESH guidelines. Check with Karel. OA deck.
[9] Contreras, Em. Et al. « Improving therapeutic compliance of Debigatran in preventing stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: drug intake reminder strategy”. Journal of Hypertension 36 (2018): e36.
