WHAT IS HYPERTENSION
Hypertension, also known as high or
raised blood pressure, is a condition in
which the blood vessels have raised
pressure. Blood is carried from the heart
to all parts of the body through the
vessels. Blood pressure is created by the
force of blood pushing against the walls
of vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the
heart. The higher the pressure, the
harder the heart has to pump.
Hypertension is a serious medical
condition and can increase the risk of
heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases.
Many people with hypertension do not
notice symptoms and may be unaware
there is a problem. Symptoms can
include early morning headaches,
nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms,
vision changes, and buzzing in the ears.
More severe forms may exhibit fatigue,
nausea, vomiting, confusion, anxiety,
chest pain, and muscle tremors. If left
untreated, hypertension can cause
persistent chest pain (also called angina),
heart attacks, heart failure, and an
irregular heartbeat, which can lead to
sudden death. Hypertension can also
cause strokes, as well as kidney damage,
which can lead to kidney failure.
Detecting hypertension is done with a
quick and painless test using a blood cuff
device. (World Health
Organization,2023)
HYPERTENSION
AND
NUTRITIONAL
ASPECTS
MEDICATIONS
Several types of medication can be used to
help control high blood pressure. Many
people need to take a combination of
different medications. Lisinopril is a
medication used to treat hypertension. It
relaxes and widens the blood vessels. This
lowers your blood pressure and makes it
easier for your heart to pump blood around
your body(NHS,2021). Lisinopril can
increase potassium levels in the blood, it is
important to avoid foods that are high in
potassium or limit overall daily intake.
Foods to limit can include bananas, oranges,
potatoes, tomatoes, squash, and dark leafy
greens(Sarah Lewis,2020). If you have high
blood pressure, taking atenolol helps prevent
future heart disease. Atenolol works by
slowing down your heart rate, making it
easier for your heart to pump blood around
your body(NHS,2022). Apple juice, grape
juice, and orange juice may prevent your
body from fully absorbing atenolol. It is best
to avoid drinking apple/orange juice within 4
hours of taking atenolol. Using atenolol
together with multivitamins with minerals
may decrease the effects of atenolol.
(WebMD,2022)
FOODS THAT SHOULD
BE INCLUDED IN DIET
Eating vegetables(spinach, broccoli,
kale), fruits(strawberries, oranges,
and blueberries), and whole grains
(Quinoa, brown rice, whole grain
cereal) help reduce the incidences of
hypertension if following the DASH
diet(U.S. Department of
Health,2021). Whole grains provide
minerals like magnesium, which
works with the calcium in low-fat
dairy to improve your health. Fruits
and vegetables provide potassium.
Potassium reduces the effect of
sodium and decreases the tension in
your blood vessels(Borst,2023)
FOODS THAT SHOULD BE
AVIODED
Fatty meats (Bacon, hotdogs, pork ),
full-fat dairy (whole milk yogurt, full-fat
cheese, Cottage cheese), and Sugarsweetened beverages (Soda, energy
drinks, sweetened tea) should be avoided
or limited in hypertension according to
the DASH diet(U.S. Department of
Health,2021). Fatty meats are high in
saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium,
which can lead to hypertension. Regular
consumption of low- and nonfat dairy
products reduces blood pressure in
adults with hypertension(Roy SJ,2019).
Sugar-sweetened beverages add calories
but don't fill you up, and people who
drink them may not compensate for
those extra calories by eating less food.
That leads to weight gain, which can
raise blood pressure(Harvard
Health,2020).
Resource for evidence based diet:
The National Heart, lung, and Blood
Resource on Disorder : The American
Heart association
References
Alfreda, Ashley, Shahbazi, S., &
Francis, L. (2022, April 13).
Hypertension: Nursing care
management and study guide.
Nurseslabs.
P Foëx, DPhil FRCA FMedSci, JW
Sear, PhD FRCA, Hypertension:
pathophysiology and treatment,
Continuing Education in
Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain,
Volume 4, Issue 3, June 2004, Pages
71–75. Academic.oup.com
World Health Organization. August
5, 2021.(n.d.). Hypertension. World
Health Organization.
Sarah Lewis, P. D. (2020, June 9).
What foods should be avoided when
taking lisinopril? Healthgrades.
WebMD. 2022. (n.d.). Atenolol oral:
Uses, side effects, interactions,
pictures, warnings & dosing.
WebMD
Borst, H. (2023, March 8). Want to
lower your blood pressure naturally?
The Checkup.
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. 2021. (n.d.). Dash
eating plan. National Heart Lung
and Blood Institute.
Roy SJ, Lapierre SS, Baker BD,
Delfausse LA, Machin DR, Tanaka
H. High dietary intake of whole milk
and full-fat dairy products does not
exert hypotensive effects in adults
with elevated blood pressure. Nutr
Res. 2019
Harvard Health. Sugary drinks seem
to raise blood pressure. . (2020,
December 10).