hypertension

As more of our population become obese and overweight, obesity diseases become much more prevalent. Hypertension is one such disease, and here I explain what it is, why it affects the overweight, symptoms and prevention.

What is it?
Hypertension is one word meaning elevated or high blood pressure.  Known as the “silent killer” due to it being asymptomatic (not showing significant signs or symptoms). It typically leads to having a fatal stroke or heart attack.  High blood pressure is defined as having a consistently elevated arterial blood pressure.  When a doctor or nurse takes your blood pressure, they measure the systolic and diastolic blood pressure.  Being hypertensive means you have a systolic blood pressure above 140mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure is above 90mm Hg (normal blood pressure = systolic of 130mm Hg and diastolic of 85mm Hg).  Untreated hypertension can result in heart failure, renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease.

There’s some good news about a food that’s long been chastised. University of Iowa researchers say that salt may act as a natural anti-depressant. This from the condiment that’s been blamed for hypertension. Go figure.

Tests on rats found that when there was a salt deficiency, they shied away from activities they normally enjoyed.

“Things that normally would be pleasurable for rats didn’t elicit the same degree of relish which leads us to believe that a salt deficit and the craving associated with it can induce one of the key symptoms associated with depression,” says psychologist Kim Johnson.