UNDER PRESSURE

IN NUMBERS

India defines high blood pressure as anything over 140 / 90 mms Hg

The US definition changed recently, to anything over 130 / 80 mms Hg

10 TIPS TO KEEP IT LEVEL

1 Maintain a healthy Body Mass

Index (BMI) of between 18.5 and 24.9

2 Exercise regularly. If you can’t

manage 30 minutes a day, try for three sessions of 10 minutes each

3 Increase your fruit and vegetable

intake. Most urban Indians are barely getting 1 small bowl of either per day. The ideal dose is five each

4 Add beetroot to your diet if you

are at risk. Beetroot juice in particular has been found to help lower blood pressure

5 Cut your salt intake. Packaged

savoury snacks, processed foods such as breads, cereals, soups and sauces, and papads and pickles are all very high in salt.

6 Cut down on hydrogenated and

trans fats, and sugars, including hidden sources such as sucrose, dextrose, fructose and glucose. Read labels carefully before buying. 7 Say no to tobacco.

It can clog your arteries.

8 Reduce caffeine intake and

alcohol consumption

9 De-stress. Stress contributes to

raising blood pressure

10 Try and make time for offline

activities that you enjoy — painting, listening to music, gardening

If you are in your 20s or older and have a family history of high BP, get regular checks and moderate your lifestyle. Regular exercise, lowered stress, enough sleep can keep high BP in check. DR RUSHIKESH PATIL, consultant interventional cardiologist, Hiranandani hospital, Mumbai