Metabolic syndrome prevention & management

Definition and criteria of hypertension

• Hypertension is the persistent increase in blood pressure above normal values.

Risk factors of hypertension

Symptoms of hypertension

• Dizziness or headaches
• Shortness of breath or heart palpitation
• Blood spots in the eye or nose bleeding
• Most people with hypertension have no symptoms.

Complications of hypertension

• Hypertension leads to serious damage to many different organs including the brain, eyes, kidneys, heart, etc.

Prevention and management of hypertension

Stress management

• Stress can raise blood pressure by stimulating sympathetic nervous system.
• To prevent hypertension, stress should be properly managed.
• Effective way to manage stress should be learned: exercising, listening to music, meditating, watching TV or movies, talking with friends or colleagues, mountain climbing, reading, or deep breathing.

Diet management

Effects of high salt intake on blood pressure

• Too much salts from foods lead to raise blood sodium concentration, causing the kidneys to reabsorb more water (fluid overload). This increases blood pressure and puts a great burden to heart and kidneys.

Recommended daily sodium intake

• According to WHO guidelines, adults should have no more than 5g of salt per day, or 2000mg of sodium, which comes to 1 teaspoon from all sources.
• Most Koreans consume at least 2.5 teaspoons of salt per day, which is 2.5 times the recommended intake (WHO).

Strategies to reduce salt intake

• Compare labels of similar products and choose the one with the lowest amount of sodium.
• Ask for dish to be made with less salts in restaurants.
• Avoid salty soup or stew.
• Do not use too much ketchup or mayonnaise.
• Avoid foods that are high in sodium (salted sea foods) or processed foods(ramen or sausage).
• Do not use salts when toasting lavers.
• Eat fresh vegetables and fruits and milk in any quantity because they help remove salts from the body.

Exercise management

Effects of exercise on hypertension

• Exercise has a beneficial effect by lowering blood pressure.
• Aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure by 5~7 mmHg. Muscular strength exercise may also reduce blood pressure by 2~3 mmHg.
• Exercise decreases risk of hypertension-induced cardiovascular diseases by 20-30%.

Exercise to lower blood pressure

• Aerobic exercise, such as, walking, cycling, or swimming, can help lower blood pressure.
• Combined aerobic and muscular strength exercise can be more effective in lowering blood pressure.
• Proper intensity and frequency of exercise are: more than 3 times per week and a duration of 30 minutes each for moderate level (a level that allows normal conversation).
• In the case of aerobic exercise, dividing the 30-minute exercise into three 10-minute sessions can obtain same effects in lowering blood pressure.

Safe exercise with hypertension

• Perform warm-up before exercise so that the body has a period of adaptation.
• Allow for an adequate cool-down to reduce sudden changes in blood pressure.
• Maintain normal breathing during exercise. Increase the amount and intensity of exercise gradually.
• Have an adequate warm-up period especially in cold weather.
• Stop exercise in case of short of breath or chest tightness.