HYPERTENSIO

WHAT IS HYPERTENSION?
Elevated

blood pressure (force of the blood

against your artery walls is high)
Most prevalent cardiovascular disease
Asymptomatic silently damages the heart
and arteries

IF UNTREATED, HYPERTENSION
CAN LEAD TO
Damaged

heart and coronary arteries,

including heart attack, heart disease,
congestive heart failure
Stroke
Kidney damage
Vision loss
Angina
Peripheral artery disease

If you eat too much salt,

blood pressure will increase

Increased salt
from diet

Salt pulls extra

water into blood
vessel

Blood pressure
increase due to
increased
internal vessel
pressure

WHAT IS HYPERTENSION?
Blood

pressure is determined by the

amount of blood your heart pumps and the
amount of resistance to blood flow in your
arteries.

BLOOD PRESSURE READING

120
78
Systolic:

higher number; measures the

pressure in the arteries when the heart beats
(when the heart muscle contracts).
Diastolic: bottom number; measures the
pressure in the arteries between heartbeats
(when the heart muscle is resting between
beats and refilling with blood).

BLOOD PRESSURE READING

120
78
Blood Pressure
Systolic BP mm Hg
(BP)Classification

Diastolic BP mm Hg

Normal

less than 120

And

less than 80

Prehypertension

120 to 139

Or

80 to 89

Stage 1
Hypertension
Stage 2
Hypertension

140 to 159

Or

90 to 99

160 or higher

or

100 or higher

RISK FACTORS
Age

Race

Family

history
Being overweight or obese
Not being physically active
Using tobacco
Too much salt (sodium) in your diet
alcohol

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Lifestyle

modifications
Improving dietary quality
Less sodium in diet
More fruits and vegetables
Physical activity
At least 30 minutes of exercise a day
Limit alcohol intake
Limit smoking

SODIUM
Current Recommendations:
For

healthy adults (18 -50) to consume 2300

milligrams or less daily
Adults ages 51 and older, or those who are
pre-hypertensive or hypertensive, to consume 1500
milligrams or less daily

HOW DOES IT TRANSLATE?

tsp = 600mg
tsp = 1200mg
tsp = 1800mg
1 tsp = 2400mg

TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR SALT

INTAKE
Use herbs and spices to season
your food.
Read the nutrition facts label
choose foods lower in sodium.
Look for: reduced sodium OR
low sodium
Rinse canned foods such as beans
Add water to canned soup to dilute
it

USE HERBS AND SPICES TO SEASON

YOUR FOOD
Instead of using salt:
Basil
Onion
Garlic
Thyme
Chili powder