Medical Nutrition in Hypertension

Abstract

High blood pressure is the most common cause of death worldwide. The goal of treatment should be lowering blood pressure to reduce the risk of heart disease and to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Hypertension is treated with drugs and in addition the person's lifestyle and nutrition should be paid attention. Lifestyle changes are needed to control LDL-cholesterol, lipids and BP which are the cardiovascular risk factors. Lifestyle changes; nutrition recommendations involving the control of salt intake and weight loss, regular physical activity, avoiding alcohol/cigarette consumption, etc. are summarized in this chapter. It was shown that with DASH diet, which recommends reducing saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol, and increasing consumption of low-fat dairy products with vegetables and fruits, BP is reduced. Sodium, sugar, sugary drinks, fats and ready to eat meat are less involved in the DASH diet.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption, Blood pressure, Cardiovascular diseases, Calcium, Cholesterol, Diet, Exercise, Fruits, Hypertension, Lifestyle management, Nutrition, Sodium intake, Salt-sensitive hypertensive, Salt-resistant hypertension, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Weight loss, DASH diet, Vegetables.