high blood pressure | A&D Instruments UK

The Impact of Dry January on Blood Pressure: A Healthier Start to the New Year

January 8, 2024/in Company /by [email protected]

As the new year unfolds, many individuals embrace the opportunity for personal growth and positive change. “Dry January,” is a month-long commitment to abstain from alcohol. Beyond being a popular resolution, Dry January can have a profound impact on various aspects of health, with one notable area being blood pressure regulation. Let’s break down how skipping the drinks for a month can may lead to a healthier cardiovascular system.

Alcohol and Blood Pressure: Unravelling the Connection

The relationship between alcohol and blood pressure is complex and influenced by several factors, such as how often and how much alcohol you are consuming on a weekly basis. While some studies suggest that moderate alcohol intake may confer certain cardiovascular benefits, excessive and chronic alcohol consumption is unequivocally linked to hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Alcohol can affect blood pressure through multiple physiological mechanisms. One of the primary contributors is the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Excessive alcohol consumption stimulates this system, leading to increased heart rate and constriction of blood vessels, both of which can contribute to elevated blood pressure levels.

Moreover, alcohol can disrupt this system’s delicate balance, potentially resulting in increased sodium retention and elevated blood pressure.

Dry January and Blood Pressure

Dry January entails refraining from alcohol for an entire month, and this deliberate break from drinking can bring about several positive changes for the cardiovascular system, including blood pressure regulation.

Blood Pressure Reduction: Studies have shown that even a short-term hiatus from alcohol can lead to a noticeable decrease in blood pressure. This reduction is particularly significant for individuals with pre-existing hypertension or those at risk of developing it.
Improved Sleep Quality: Alcohol’s impact on sleep is a well-known factor in blood pressure regulation. While it may initially induce drowsiness, alcohol disrupts the normal sleep cycle, potentially contributing to elevated blood pressure levels. A dry month allows for better sleep patterns, promoting overall cardiovascular health.
Weight Management: Alcohol is calorie-dense, and regular consumption can contribute to weight gain. By abstaining from alcohol during Dry January, individuals may experience weight loss or better weight management, positively influencing blood pressure.
Enhanced Hydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production, potentially leading to dehydration. Adequate hydration is crucial for maintaining optimal blood volume and, consequently, blood pressure. A month without alcohol provides an opportunity for improved hydration status.
Lifestyle Reflection and Change: Participating in Dry January often involves a broader commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Individuals may engage in more physical activity, adopt a balanced diet, and manage stress more effectively—all factors that contribute to improved cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation.

The relationship between alcohol and blood pressure is complex and influenced by several factors, such as how often and how much alcohol you are consuming on a weekly basis. While some studies suggest that moderate alcohol intake may have certain cardiovascular benefits, excessive and chronic alcohol consumption is unequivocally linked to hypertension, or high blood pressure.

6 Ways to Reduce Hypertension: World Hypertension Day

May 17, 2023/in Medical /by [email protected]

Are you aware of the impact hypertension can have on your health?

May 17th marks World Hypertension Day, a global initiative to raise awareness of hypertension and promote hypertension prevention, detection, and control.

Over 30% of the adult population in the world and more than a billion individuals worldwide suffer from hypertension. It is the main cause of heart disorders, especially coronary artery disease, and stroke. Additionally, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and dementia can all result from uncontrolled hypertension. Therefore, information regarding this illness should be shared widely.

140/90mmHg or over – you may have high blood pressure

Most doctors use 140/90mmHg as the cut off for point for diagnosing high blood pressure (hypertension). This is the stage where the likelihood of encountering severe health issues escalates. They might prescribe medications and advise you to make changes to your lifestyle to bring your blood pressure down.

There are many ways to prevent hypertension, some ways include:

Get regular exercise
Reduce salt intake
Learn to manage tension or stress
Take a well-balanced diet rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium
Limiting alcohol consumption
Avoiding tobacco use

3 things to consider when choosing a home blood pressure monitor

Considerations include style, features and wireless capabilities

Style. Upper arm monitors are similar to those used in a doctor’s office. Wrist monitors are especially portable.
Features. Options range from simple ease of use to high-tech sophistication. One-touch monitors give a quick and easy-to-read result. Other monitors offer more features like built-in memory, which allows you to store your readings for a bigger long-term picture.
Wireless/Bluetooth^®. Some monitors sync with a smartphone letting you store, chart and share your results easily.

5 things to know about checking your blood pressure at home

Tips from the British Heart Foundation :

Relax! Avoid caffeine or exercise 30 minutes before taking your BP.
Sit correctly. Sit with your back straight and supported. Keep your feet flat and avoid crossing your legs, and support your arms on a flat surface with your upper arm at the level of your heart.
Measure at the same time every day. Try morning and evening, or both.
Take more than one reading and record the results. Take two or three readings, one minute apart each time.
Don’t take the measurement over thick or tight-fitting clothes. This one is simple.

For more information check out our previous blog post How to Measure Your Blood Pressure from Home | A&D Instruments UK (andprecision.com)

How A&D Medical can help

At A&D Medical, we are dedicated to improving hypertension awareness and management through our blood pressure monitoring solutions. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death globally. Regular blood pressure monitoring is essential for understanding and managing hypertension. Our products include a range of blood pressure monitors, including wireless and other options, to suit a variety of needs and lifestyles.

To support World Hypertension Day, we encourage everyone to check their blood pressure and spread awareness about hypertension in their communities.

If you are interested in learning more about our blood pressure monitors, please visit our range of products.

New Guidance For Hypertension Consultation

June 11, 2019/in Medical /by Marie Antoine

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has made a major change in the blood pressure guidance last published in 2011¹. The draft guidelines ² recommend the threshold of hypertension treatment should be reduced, which makes more than 450,000 men and 270,000 women eligible for blood pressure treatment. This means that an increased number of individuals would be offered drugs to lower blood pressure as a means to prevent strokes and heart attacks. This guidance has been released for consultation till April, 30 and is expected to be finalized by August 2019.

Previous Guidelines and New Recommendations

According to the NICE recommended guidance from 2011, drugs for lowering blood pressure should be given to individuals under 80 years of age who are suffering from stage one hypertension and are at 20% or more risk of cardiovascular disease in the next ten years.

As per the new recommendations, NICE has recommended offering blood pressure lowering drugs to patients with 10% or more risk of cardiovascular disease.

Stage one hypertension is when there isn’t any identifiable reason behind the increase in blood pressure. It might be associated with different factors, including genetics, physical activity, salt intake, or obesity.

According to the guideline committee chairman, Anthony Wierzbicki ³, these changes in the guidelines have resulted in updating the previous recommendations for early intervention of hypertension and is expected to make major differences in the lives of patients suffering from this condition.

The Reason

The recommended new guidelines will shift the focus effectively towards early intervention with either drug treatment or lifestyle treatment. The aim is to reduce the age-related blood pressure issues and help patients live a longer life with reduced need for consuming multiple drugs.

Hypertension is one of the leading causes of strokes and heart attacks in the country, but countless individuals are not undiagnosed.

The early diagnosis of blood pressure will result in earlier treatment and prevention as per the NICE recommended guidelines, which will save the lives of thousands while also enhancing the quality of their lives. This is the aim of the new changes in the guidelines and to enhance the management and detection of high blood pressure in the next ten years.

Taking these steps for preventing cardiovascular disease is an important step to safeguard their long-term well-being and health.

Concerns Regarding New Recommendations

While these new guidelines will help with the early detection, many experts have raised concerns about unintended harm and over-diagnosis issues of offering prescribed medications to patients when the advantages might be restricted.

They believe that to lower the threshold of hypertension diagnosis, which is a condition that affects a major number of individuals in the country, it is essential to ensure that this decision is evidence-based and not taken lightly.

A major chunk of the population is already suffering from undiagnosed hypertension, which means they are at high risk of a deadly stroke or heart attack. Therefore, it is essential to enhance the diagnosis around the country, but it is also important to make sure that the changes will actually improve the quality of lives of the patients and not put them at more risk.

Foods to Avoid When Managing High Blood Pressure

April 16, 2019/in Medical /by Marie Antoine

Diet plays a significant role in the development and management of blood pressure. A diet which is higher in calories and fat can lead to obesity which is one of the major risk factors in high blood pressure development. Just as there are foods that can help in controlling and managing blood pressure, there are foods that increase blood pressure.

Hypertension is a disease that can be treated or managed by maintaining a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. If you have hypertension or are at risk of high blood pressure, you can easily modify your diet to prevent the serious consequences of hypertension.

The Culprit

Sodium is the villain for individuals at risk of heart disease or living with hypertension. According to World Health Organization (WHO), individuals living with hypertension should restrict their daily intake of sodium to less than 5mg. However, an average European consumes around 7-12g of sodium every day!

About 75% of consumed salt comes from processed foods and sodium included in meals at cafes, restaurants and other food establishments.

Foods to Avoid

Here are the foods that you must avoid as they play a role in increasing your blood pressure:

1. Canned Beans

For preservation purposes, these canned goods are loaded with sodium. It is best to opt for fresh beans. However, if you want to use canned beans, first, place them in a colander and rinse them thoroughly with water. This will help in washing away most of the sodium.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol consumption has surprisingly found to decrease the risk of heart disease, but of course, there is a catch. It must be done in moderation – one serving a day for women and two servings a day for men. Consumption of more than the recommended servings can lead to dehydration and gradual weight gain – both of these increase blood pressure levels.

3. Bacon

Bacon is also loaded with sodium which can increase the blood pressure. Merely three slices of bacon have 270 mg of sodium and 4.5 grams of fat.

4. Premade Soups

Even with nutritious veggies, premade soups include a high amount of sodium. Unfortunately, while you can rinse off the sodium from canned beans, you can’t do that with premade soup. It is best to make fresh soup or opt for premade soups which have ‘reduced salt’ or ‘low in sodium’ labels on their packaging.

5. Packaged and Processed Meats

These include hot dogs, breakfast sausages and more. Packaged and processed meats are also loaded with sodium and saturated fats, both of which play a major contributing role in hypertension. Avoid the refrigerated section of your grocer and opt for fresh meat instead. Remember, having high blood pressure doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself. It is more about eating smart to keep your body healthy. Opt for the DASH diet, one of the most effective diets in managing and reducing high blood pressure. It includes whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables to ensure you are full and healthy throughout the day.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

December 16, 2018/in Medical /by Marie Antoine

High blood pressure is a serious health issue and is now becoming more common and a growing concern in the United Kingdom.

This is clearly evident from the following facts and statistics published by Public Health England:

High blood pressure affects nearly 1 in 4 individuals,
It is the third-biggest risk factor for premature deaths and disability, after smoking, in England,
At least ½ of all the cardiac arrests and strokes are linked with high blood pressure,
It is also among the major risk factors for developing chronic kidney diseases and dementia, Over 5.5 million individuals in England have undiagnosed high BP and remain untreated, thereby putting their lives at serious risk.

High blood pressure is estimated to affect over 1.5 billion individuals worldwide by the year 2025.

What is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, occurs when the pressure of your blood is persistently higher than the pressure that is considered normal. The optimal blood pressure rate is under 120/80mmHg. Readings above this range (for example, 130-139/80-89) are considered as stage 1 high blood pressure, while stage 2 is 140 and above/90 and above.

Blood Pressure Chart

High blood pressure can be dangerous because the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the body and further leads to hardening of the arteries, thereby increasing the risk of developing a stroke and heart failure. Although the exact causes of high blood pressure are still unknown, there are many factors linked to it. These factors are believed to have a strong influence on blood pressure, thereby increasing the likelihood of developing the condition.

Age

It is estimated that approximately 1 in 2 individuals over 65 have high blood pressure. This indicates that you may be exposed to the risk of high blood pressure as you age.

Family History

Studies also show that family history also increases the risk of high blood pressure. So, if high blood pressure tends to run in your family then it’s important that you closely monitor yours and manage it proactively to reduce the chances of developing it in the future.

Obesity

It is believed that people who are overweight or obese can develop high blood pressure. This is backed by the fact that as your weight increases, more blood is needed by your body to supply nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. So, when the volume of blood circulation through the vessels shoots up, so does the pressure on the walls of your arteries.

A Diet Rich in Sodium and Poor in Potassium

Your diet also influences your blood pressure level. If your diet is rich in sodium and has very little potassium, it can increase your likelihood of developing high blood pressure. This is because sodium causes the body to retain fluid, while potassium helps balance the amount of salt in the cells. So, if your diet has too much salt and little potassium, you will retain and accumulate salt in the blood, thereby putting you at risk of high blood pressure.

Other potential causes include:

High alcohol intake,
Stress,
Minimal physical activity, and
Frequent use of tobacco.

To lower the risk of developing high blood pressure, monitor and manage your blood pressure at home yourself. Consider investing in a high quality home blood pressure monitoring machine, such as A&D’s UA-651BLE Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Smart Bluetooth Low Energy Connectivity to check your blood pressure daily. It is easy to use, and offers reliable and accurate reading. Also, seek proper treatment and adopt a healthy lifestyle to minimize your risk.

A&D UA-651BLE Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Bluetooth® Smart Bluetooth® Low Energy Connectivity

The UA-651BLE is the 4th generation of the range of A&D telehealth blood pressure monitors, and is designed for the home user as part of the ‘wellness connected™’ family of products and free app, A&D Connect.

Features:

4th gen. blood pressure monitor telehealth range
Bluetooth® Version 4.0LE/ Bluetooth® Smart communication
Continua™ Certified – to ensure interoperability
Compatible with UC-352BLE scales and UT-201BLE thermometer
A&D’s Slimfit™ Cuff 22-32cm
2nd gen. IHB Indicator
WHO Blood Pressure Class.Indicator
Internal 30-memory + Average Reading
ESH Clinical Validation

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