Hypertension or High Blood Pressure
What is hypertension?
Blood pressure is the force of circulating blood on the walls of your arteries as the heart pumps it around the body. Depending on what a person is doing during the day, blood pressure goes up and down naturally depending on general health and activity levels.
Hypertension or high blood pressure is when blood pressure is permanently higher than normal.
A ‘normal’ blood pressure reading would be:
- Systolic blood pressure under 120 mm Hg
- Diastolic blood pressure under 80 mm HgTable showing the blood pressure ranges given by the Australian guideline for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults.
High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart disease, especially heart attacks and strokes.
It’s possible to have high blood pressure without knowing, so it’s important that people have their heart health checked regularly by a health professional.
According to the National Heart Foundation blood pressure needs to be checked every two years from the age of 18 years, and if over 45 years, an annual check is recommended.
High blood pressure can be managed with lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart healthy diet and exercising more. Doctors might also recommend medications to keep it under control in conjunction with the lifestyle changes.
How common is hypertension?
In 2022, based on the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey (NHS) and analysed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2023):
- 39% of people aged 18 and over (approximately 7.2 million adults) were estimated to have hypertension, with similar proportions observed in males (40%) and females (39%).
- Hypertension becomes more common with age and is highest among adults aged 75 and over (85%).
Of adults with hypertension (AIHW analysis of ABS 2023):
- 63% did not self-report their hypertension status, reflecting low awareness.
- 65% had been dispensed antihypertensive medications.
- 40% had their blood pressure controlled and were taking antihypertensive medications.
- 70–82% of those aged 54 and under had uncontrolled hypertension.
Why is maintaining a normal blood pressure so important?
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, high blood pressure is the 4th leading modifiable risk factor contributing to the burden of disease in Australia. It contributes to 61% of hypertensive heart disease, 40% of coronary heart disease and 37% of stroke. Furthermore, it contributed to 13% of all deaths in Australia in 2022.
What lifestyle changes are recommended?
Healthy eating
The recommended healthy eating plan for blood pressure management is no different than that recommended for all Australians.
According to the National Heart Foundation, healthy food recommendations to reduce the risk of blood pressure and heart disease are:
- Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains
- Include a variety of healthy protein rich foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and seafood.
- Choose unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese.
- Include healthy fats like avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and oils such as olive, canola, sunflower and peanut oils.
Include herbs and spices to flavour foods instead of salt
Be physically active
The physical activity recommendations for adults are:
- Do 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity five or more days per week
- Be active on all or most days of the week, with some muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days each week.
Start with as little as walking 10 minutes a day and build up gradually.
Maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease as well as other health problems. Use tools like the Body Mass Index and weight circumference to assess what constitutes a recommended weight.
Be smoke free
Cigarette smoking promotes inflammation of the arteries, increases blood pressure and heart rate and promotes clot formation. It is highly recommended that smokers quit which will have an immediate positive impact on blood pressure.
Reduce alcohol intake
Alcohol contributes to raising blood pressure so the recommendation from the National Health and Medical Research Council is that no more than four standard drinks per day should be consumed by a healthy adult.
Medication and hypertension
Blood pressure medications are called anti-hypertensives. They will be prescribed by a General Practitioner (GP) because having hypertension increases the risk of heart and cardio-vascular conditions such as stroke and heart attack. A GP will assess a person’s overall risk of developing heart disease in the coming 5 years.
Blood pressure medicines are usually started at a low dose. GPs will generally monitor a person’s blood pressure and may adjust the dose or change the medication if it is not lowering blood pressure enough or if a person experiences side effects.
Many people need more than one medicine to achieve good blood pressure control. Finding the most effective medication or combination of medications can take time and may require several reviews with a GP.
Some people need to take blood pressure medicines long term. Others may be able to reduce the amount of medication they need by making healthy lifestyle changes as outlined above.
If a person’s blood pressure is extremely high or is causing symptoms such as severe headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, vision changes, or dizziness, urgent medical assessment and treatment may be required to safely lower their blood pressure.
Conclusion
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition that often has no symptoms, but over time it can increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and dementia.
The good news is that hypertension can usually be managed effectively through healthy lifestyle choices and, when needed, medication. Regular blood pressure checks, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, limiting salt and alcohol, and not smoking can all help reduce your risk.
If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, working closely with your doctor and taking medications as prescribed can help protect your long-term health. Early detection and ongoing management are the key to preventing complications and maintaining a healthy, active life.