Lifetime guide to preventing hypertension

In part two of our exclusive guide, PAT HAGAN explains how to take back control of your health and reduce your risk of high blood pressure

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE is recognised as one of the world’s biggest killers. In the UK alone, it’s thought to be responsible for around half of all heart attacks and strokes.Yet many fatalities could be prevented if millions of us adopted simple lifestyle changes that could help keep our blood vessels in tip-top condition and drastically reduce the risks of serious illness.

A healthy diet and regular blood pressure checks are vital.

But one of the simplest steps all of us can take, experts say, is to make sure we get regular exercise that helps maintain a healthy heart.

“Exercise is really important as it keeps your blood vessels pliable, which makes it easier for blood to travel through them and reduces the strain on the heart,” says Professor Naveed Sattar from Glasgow University’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences.

“Think of your cardiovascular as a heating system – you want to keep the pipes clear and the pump in good order and working properly.

“But the key to success is setting achievable goals that involve doing ordinary things – like getting off the bus one stop early and walking the rest of the way home or getting out in the garden more often.

“Exercise doesn’t need to be onerous or make you sweat profusely for it to be beneficial.

“It just has to be something that increases your heart rate and breathing.”

Follow our guide to the best exercises that keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.