This May Affect Your Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is not just related to genetic traits, but also to our lifestyle.

Many people know that some diet are higher in fat, such as salt, and sugar along with a sedentary lifestyle can affect blood pressure rates. 

But experts want people to be more familiar about other habits that can have an impact on blood pressure.

Recently, the American Heart Association released a list of unaware habits that can affect a person’s blood pressure.

Fighting high blood pressure, or hypertension, is key, since about 75 million Americans, or over one in three adults, have high blood pressure according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Over The Counter Drugs

People who use over-the-counter medications to treat minor aches and pains can see spikes in their blood pressure.

OTC medications, including anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil), can increase blood pressure.

Drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) are less likely to cause increases in blood pressure.

Many OTC decongestant medications are also known to raise blood pressure.

Prescription medications such as those used to treat mental health, oral birth control medications, immunosuppressants, cancer medications, and steroids can also raise your blood pressure.

However, medical experts recommend that people don’t stop taking these medications without consulting their prescribing physician.

Coffee or Cocktail

Both alcohol and caffeine can also contribute to rising blood pressure.

It’s recommended that limiting caffeine to less than 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to three cups of coffee per day, can help avoid high blood pressure from reaching critical levels.

Alcohol should be limited to “no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men,” Dr. Elizabeth A. Jackson, MPH, professor of medicine in the Department of Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Alabama, told Healthline.

“Green tea extract and other caffeine-related products, such as matcha, all increase the adrenalin surge in a patient,” said Dr. Satjit Bhusri, attending cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Bhusri went on to state that these products are “meant to make one more alert, but in doing so, [they elevate] blood pressures into dangerous categories.”............... CONTINUE READING

SOURCE: HEALTHLINE