What is ❔ hypertension?
Hypertension has few, if any, subjective symptoms. Therefore, it is difficult to detect
high blood pressure unless you measure your blood pressure regularly. The disease is
when the blood pressure remains high all the time, and in that case, some action is
required. Hypertension is also called a "silent killer" because it takes many years to erode
the blood vessels without any symptoms. In Japan, about 43 million people (*1) have
hypertension, and it is said that 60% of Japanese men and 45% of Japanese women over
30 years old have hypertension (*2).
Systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or more, diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or
more, or taking antihypertensive medication.
*1: Japanese Society of Hypertension. Hypertension Treatment Guidelines 2014
*2: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2010 National Health and Nutrition Survey
What happens if ❔ hypertension continues?
The high pressure on blood vessels puts a burden on blood vessels, heart, and kidneys
throughout the body, causing arteriosclerosis and other problems. If the blood vessels
become brittle due to arteriosclerosis and break or become clogged, there is a risk of
stroke, myocardial infarction, and chronic kidney disease.
What can I do to lower my blood pressure?
1) Reduce salt
The "Dietary Intake Standards for Japanese (2015 version)" recommends a target daily
salt intake for Japanese adults: less than 8.0g/day for men and less than 7.0g/day for
women. In addition, the "Japanese Society of Hypertension. Treatment Guidelines 2014"
has a salt reduction target of less than 6g/day.
<Characteristics of the Japanese diet
Miso soup and pickles, which are staples of the Japanese diet, are menus with high salt
content. In addition, processed foods* such as ham contain a large amount of salt. Many
dishes are dipped in soy sauce or sauces, and even Western-style meals are often
accompanied by pickles, which contain a high amount of salt.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)