One in four Americans have high blood pressure. It is a serious health issue with often no symptoms. If high blood pressure is untreated, health problems such as arterial damage, stroke, kidney damage, vision problems and chest pain can occur.
What can you do to lower your blood pressure? A new research study by Internal Medicine reported going low-carb can help. Researchers found that overweight people who cut their carbohydrate intake to lose weight have a 6 percent drop in their systolic number and 4.5 point drop in their diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure consists of two numbers, systolic and diastolic. The systolic number should be 120 mmHg or lower while the diastolic number should be under 80 mmHg. Many healthcare providers treat blood pressure when it becomes 140/90 mmHg or higher. The American Heart Association reports that 77 percent of Americans treated for their first stroke are over 140/90 mmHg and 69 percent of those with their first heart attack and 74 percent with congestive heart failure are over 140/90 mmHg as well.
Other ways to lower your blood pressure is by eating vegetables, fruit and fiber. Also, stop smoking and start exercising. You may want to talk to your doctor about taking natural supplements such as CoQ10, potassium, magnesium, calcium, fish oil and hawthorn. Try to lower your blood pressure through any of these means, so you don't become another statistic.