(Huffington Post) — Just in time for World Hypertension Day comes this piece of good news: We might have more control over our blood pressure than previously thought.
We’re often taught that genetic susceptibility is rote. There’s no way around it: if one of your parents has a condition, there is a specific probability that it will be passed down to you. With conditions for which genetic associations are very strong, such as hypertension, it can seem like a hopeless pursuit to prevent it. Previous research has found that having just one parent with a history of hypertension makes you 20 percent more likely to suffer from the condition, even after risk factors have been accounted for.
But a new study demonstrates that staying physically fit and active can have a lasting impact and counter genetic predisposition. The study followed 6,278 predominantly white men and women of all ages over a nearly five-year period. About 33 percent of the participants had at least one parent with a history of hypertension. Researchers found that those who maintained a moderate to high fitness level, despite family history, were overall 34 percent less likely than those who lived a sedentary lifestyle to develop high blood pressure over the course of the study.
What’s more, the relationship wasn’t seen exclusively in “gym rat” types; moderate exercisers enjoyed a 26 percent reduction in hypertension risk. “The results of this study send a very practical message, which is that even a very realistic, moderate amount of exercise — which we define as brisk walking for 150 minutes per week — can provide a huge health benefit, particularly to people predisposed to hypertension because of their family history,” said lead author Robin P. Shook, a doctoral graduate student in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, in a statement.
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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what’s with the silly poll asking “what are you doing to control your BP?” this is a good question to take a poll on BUT it is just plain SILLY to limit the respondents to only ONE of the actions! Go figure???? everyone knows that a multifacited response to HBP is the most effective …. so pray tell why do es your poll insist that we pick only one????
The quoted H’ton Post article seems to provide evidence for my personal experience. I’m 71 years old, live & work in Pakistan’s high-stress environment, my mother suffered from HBP, I was a smoker, developed HBP in 2009. Quit smoking in 2010, reduced eating, began 1-hr/day exercise, & brought my bp down to 150-160/90. In 2011, went to the States for a 2-month visit, ate much junk food & also stopped exercising, bp soared to 205/114. But since the last 7 months, again reduced eating, do 1-hr/day brisk walking & exercycling, my bp again hovers around 150-160/90. I’d vouch for the HPost article.
My question to this is what about the other 66%? This implies that exercise reduces hypertension risk in only a fraction of those who are participating in such activities. I, unfortunately was one of the 66% that exercise had no effect on BP. I have been exercising for years—no luck—but, when I added plant based nutrition to the equation that risk dropped to 0 and I now have normal BP. So case in point, folks load up on fruits, veggies and whole grains and your hypertension might just be history. Contrary to popular belief, you can control your genes…