Dr. Kathleen Egbuna on Monday in Lagos said balanced diets, nutritional supplements, exercises and proper stress management could reduce hypertension in patients.
Egbuna, a nutritionist at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba in Lagos State, told the News Agency of Nigeria that hypertension is a condition where the pressure in the bloodstream of a person is consistently raised above normal.
She added: “When the systolic is consistently above 140 millimeters of mercury and the diastolic is consistently above 90 millimeters of mercury, the person is in a state of hypertension.
“Severely elevated hypertension may result in headaches, increase in heart rate and a general feeling of ill-health.
“Hypertension is an indication for the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, kidney disease and other related disorders.”
Egbuna said lifestyles and aging process could also serve as key components of the scourge.
She said: “With the passage of time, the blood vessels gradually lose their elasticity and this may lead to a rise in systolic pressure when the heart contracts.
“Hypertension may also be the consequences of medical conditions, and when hypertension is precipitated by other disease conditions in the body, it is called secondary hypertension.
“Secondary hypertension includes adrenal gland tumour, blocked renal artery, obstructive sleep, apnea, kidney diseases, endocrine diseases, obesity and nutritional causes.
“Environmental factors contributing to hypertension include: smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, as well as eating of high-fat diets, high-salt diets, caffeine and tobacco.”
She also said anti-hypertensive drugs would not cure hypertension but could only reduce blood pressure and control the condition.
Egbuna said the nutrients that could help to control hypertension include potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, the antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E) and omega-3 fatty acids.
She said nutritional research had identified some natural agents and herbs that could provide a support for hypertension such as garlic, green tea and Hawthorne berry.
The nutritionist said the root of bitter-leaf plant had a diuretic effect that can help in the management of hypertension.
NAN.
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