Ladies Listen Up! Your Blood Pressure May Be Higher Than You Think

July 22, 2009

Posted by Maggie Spilner

Most women think they have the edge over men when it comes to blood pressure. And before menopause that’s the case. But did you know that menopause increases women’s systolic blood pressure? A study done from 2001 to 2003 showed that among people over 60, women had a higher systolic blood pressure reading than men did, in every state in America. And most women didn’t realize they were at risk.

High blood pressure makes your heart work too hard and leads to hardening of the arteries and restricted blood flow. Restricted blood flow can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure and dementia.

In many cases, you can bring your blood pressure under control with lifestyle changes. These are our top 10 recommendations:

1. Get regular physical exercise. Being physically active for 30 – 60 minutes most days of the week can lower blood pressure by 4 to 9 points.

2. Eat a diet with lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains and low or fat-free dairy products. Studies have shown that people who follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet may be able to reduce their blood pressure up to 14 points.

3. Cut back on salt. Recommended intake is between 1,500 and 2,400 mg. Lower is better.

4. Cut back on sugar and other refined carbs. Studies have shown that sugary diets can cause hypertension. Taking 200 mcg of chromium daily may help counter sugar’s blood pressure effect.

5. Lose weight, even if it’s only a few pounds. Losing just 5 – 10% of your body weight can help because your heart doesn’t have to work as hard when there’s less of you to nourish!

6. Limit your alcohol intake. More than one drink a day can raise blood pressure by several points.

7. Get more omega-3 fatty acids by eating fatty fish and by taking a high quality fish oil supplement. A Japanese study showed that higher intake of omega-3s was associated with lower blood pressure.

8. Try combining alpha lipoic acid with acetyl-L-carnitine. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health found that these two supplements work together to improve the function of endothelial cells — the cells that line blood vessels.

9. Take vitamin C. A recent study showed that vitamin C may protect against blood pressure increases. Researchers found that blood levels of vitamin C were inversely associated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels in young women.

10. Include foods specifically proven to help lower the pressure. Pomegranates act like ACE inhibitors, a class of drugs used to block an enzyme in the body that is responsible for causing blood vessels to narrow. Rich in nitrates, beets help lower blood pressure the same way nitroglycerin does — by relaxing blood vessels.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Many women don’t realize that after menopause, they are actually more at risk than men for hypertension. A healthy blood pressure is 120/80. If your numbers skew higher, it’s time to take aggressive action to reduce your risk of heart attack. If you have high blood pressure, you may be able to avoid the use of drugs to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range naturally by making simple lifestyle changes and using clinically proven supplements.