Good Health is the best Wealth. During the global pandemic, many people lost their loved ones, people got stressed due to lockdown. Scientists reported that there has been a significant increase in blood pressure measurements of nearly half a million adults compared to the previous year.
These measurements of the pressure describe blood against the walls of the arteries. High blood pressure can damage the heart, brain, blood vessels, kidneys, and eyes. Sexual function may also be affected. These are very important data that are not surprising, but shocking,” said Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study.
“Even small changes in average blood pressure in a population,” he said, “can have a huge impact on the incidence of stroke, heart failure, and the number of heart attacks in the coming months. Half of the American adults have high blood pressure or hypertension a chronic condition. It’s called the “silent killer” because it can have life-threatening consequences, although it does cause few symptoms.
High blood pressure can also put people at greater risk for serious illness if they are infected with the coronavirus. We saw people not exercising much not taking regular care, drinking more and sleeping less during the pandemic. The researchers found that there was little change in blood pressure readings in the first three months from 2019 to 2020, but increased significantly from April 2020 to December 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
New study found that compared to the previous year, the mean monthly change from April 2020 to December 2020 was 1.10 mm Hg to 2.50 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and 0.14 to 0.53 for diastolic blood pressure. The increase proved to be true for both men and women, and for all age groups. Large increases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed in women.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are many ways to control blood pressure.
Loose weight.
Exercise regularly.
Eat a healthy diet.
Reduce sodium in your diet.
Limit how much alcohol you drink.
Quit smoking.
Cut back on caffeine.
Reduce your stress.
Monitor your blood pressure at home and with your doctor.
Get the support you need from loved ones.
