There's a silent killer nearly 50% of people don't know about until it's too late. But here's the good news: You can uncover this risk for only $40 dollars. And here's even better news: There are simple, practical steps you can start taking today to lower your risks and avoid cutting short your lifespan.
In this blog post, I'll explain this hidden health risk, why a $40 purchase might be one of the best investments you can make, and the simple, practical steps you can start taking today to take control of your long-term health.
Table of Contents
What's the Silent Killer?
So what is this silent killer?
A major study followed 10,000 young men over 25 years and was able to connect one simple factor measured at the beginning of this period to a massive increase in the risk of death. That factor was their blood pressure.
Compared to those with a normal blood pressure reading, estimated life expectancy was shorter by up to 12.2 years for those with the highest blood pressure levels [1].
What's going on here? Why is blood pressure so significant?
To answer this question, let's start by recalling what blood pressure is. Your heart is a pump whose job is to circulate blood through your body, carrying oxygen, nutrients, and many other important things to your cells. Your heart creates pressure in your blood vessels as it moves blood through your system. When we measure your blood pressure, we're measuring how strongly your blood is pushing against the walls of your arteries.
Just like with a hose or a pipe, if your blood vessels are asked to carry too much pressure, they can be damaged or even rupture over time. Damage to your blood vessels is so dangerous because it can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke.
But it's dangerous for another reason, too. I call high blood pressure a silent killer because it often doesn't have any obvious symptoms. If you think about the nature of heart attacks and strokes, they are sudden events that, for many people, happen without warning — even though the damage that led to them may have been taking place slowly over decades.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 46% of adults with hypertension — which means high blood pressure — are unaware that they have the condition [2].
So that means there is a metric with huge implications for our health — our blood pressure — that many people don't even realize is sitting at a dangerous level, silently causing stress and damage to their most important bodily systems.
Monitor Your Risk
The best way to defend yourself against a hidden killer is to find a way to see it. So how do we do that?
You might be thinking, "Simple. I get my blood pressure checked when I go to the doctor." But there are multiple problems with that approach.
Here's a common example that I see in my clinic all the time. We recently had a patient whose blood pressure measured much higher than I would have expected. She was young, athletic, and lacked any risk factors that can raise your chances of having high blood pressure. As I talked with her, she explained that she had always felt super nervous around doctors. And guess what? When you're anxious, your blood pressure rises. So the measurement we took for her in the office wasn't accurate. This is a problem that's so common it even has a name: "White-coat hypertension."
You'll get the most accurate blood pressure measurement when you're in a familiar environment where you feel relaxed — like at home. That's why most expert panels recommend patients get at-home blood pressure measurements to confirm a high blood pressure reading they had at the doctor's office.
There's a second reason, though, why relying on measuring your blood pressure at the doctor's office might not be your best strategy and that's frequency. Think about this: How often do you visit the doctor in a normal year? Probably not that often. Ideally, you want a way to monitor your blood pressure more often, especially if you are actively taking steps to try to lower it so you can see what's working and what isn't.
Both of these reasons are why I always recommend to my patients that they get a device for monitoring their blood pressure at home. But you need to be careful when choosing a device. Accurate readings are critical, and the market unfortunately is flooded with low-quality options. Instead, look for something that's easy to use and, most importantly, has been tested by an independent agency to ensure that the results you'll get are accurate.
One option is the iHealth Track, which I'm not affiliated with. It's available on Amazon for under $40.00.
A recent study found that it met the standards set by the European Society of Hypertension and is suitable for use in the general population [3]. It's simple to use and understand and even lets you keep track of your measurements with an app on your phone.
Given the significance of your blood pressure for your health and the benefits of being able to monitor it conveniently and accurately at home, this could be the best $40 you ever spend on your health.
Simple Steps to Control Blood Pressure
Monitoring your blood pressure is essential. But maintaining a healthy blood pressure level is even more important. While you wait for your blood pressure monitor to arrive, I'm going to tell you about 5 practical lifestyle changes you can make, starting right now, to maximize your chances of keeping your blood pressure at a safe level.
There are many factors that determine your blood pressure. Some of them you have no control over — like your age and family history. Yet there are plenty of things you can control to lower your blood pressure.
1. Cut Back on Salt
One of the simplest is to reduce how much salt you're eating in your diet. Your body does need sodium, which is contained in salt. But it doesn't need very much. The American Heart Association recommends we should have no more than about a half a teaspoon (or 1,500 milligrams) per day [4]. Compare that with the 3,500 milligrams the average American eats daily.
How significant is sodium intake? One study that looked at 85 different trials found a clear pattern: as sodium intake goes up, so does blood pressure [5].
The reason is simple. Sodium causes your body to retain more water, increasing the volume of your blood. If there is a greater amount of fluid in your blood vessels, it makes sense that the pressure would increase. It's similar to the way a balloon stretches tighter and tighter as you blow more air into it.
So if sodium is so significant, how can you cut back? The easiest way to significantly reduce your sodium intake might surprise you: it's to stay away from processed foods and certain categories where sodium content is especially high.
One study in the U.S. found that pizza, breads, cold cuts, soups, and burritos were the top five contributors to sodium consumption [6]. So what should you be eating instead? This brings us to the second practical step you can take to promote healthy blood pressure levels.
2. Follow the DASH Diet
Researchers have developed guidelines called the DASH diet, which stands for "Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension." It's a bit of a mouthful, but it's an accurate label. The DASH diet has been found to be the most effective way to lower blood pressure without using medications [7].
The DASH diet is simple. Choose non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, low-fat dairy, whole grains, chicken, fish, and nuts, while cutting out sweets, sugary drinks, and fatty cuts of red meat. As an added bonus, if you follow the DASH diet, you're also more likely to increase your intake of potassium through potassium-rich foods like spinach, bananas, peas, and beans.
Why is this a bonus? Because potassium has also been found to help lower blood pressure. It balances out sodium levels while also encouraging the walls of our blood vessels to relax.
3. Limit Your Alcohol
The third practical step you can take to lower your blood pressure is limiting your alcohol intake.
Along with raising blood pressure, alcohol wrecks sleep quality. You'll likely see a significant reduction in your blood pressure by cutting back.
4. Add Exercise
The fourth recommended lifestyle change to lower your blood pressure is adding exercise. I know how hard it can seem to get started, especially if you have been relatively inactive. The good news is that even small changes can make a positive impact. I encourage my patients to start where they are and look for ways to add movement into their schedules.
Viewers of this channel will know I'm a huge fan of exercise snacks. Exercise snacks are short bursts of physical activity that you can easily fit into your day. For example, at the clinic after I've seen three patients, I have a 15-minute paperwork break. Before I start on my paperwork though, I do a set of pushups to near failure, or sit-ups. Since I only do one set, I don't have to worry about breaking out into a sweat.
The great thing about exercise snacks is that you don't need a lot of time or special equipment. Just find small moments to move, and soon you'll notice your blood pressure starting to improve. So grab those tiny opportunities to stay active throughout the day.
5. Lose Weight
Finally, for overweight individuals, weight loss can be a powerful contributor to getting elevated blood pressure under control.
One powerful study showed that the greater the weight loss, the greater the reduction in blood pressure [8].
Conclusion
Now you know about the hidden risk to your health so many overlook, the $40 investment you can make to avoid being in the dark, and the practical changes you can make to maximize your chances of maintaining a safe blood pressure level. But the one thing I haven't talked about is this: What is that safe level you should be aiming for?
Well, that answer has changed from what you may have heard before. New evidence has shown us that what used to be considered "healthy" blood pressure is actually dangerous. Check out more information to find the actual number you need to be targeting.
References
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/648465
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6444211/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8055199/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8055199/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9962803/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7792371/
- https://www.uptodate.com/contents/image?imageKey=NEPH%2F60178&topicKey=PC%2F3852&source=see_link
