As a result of the pressures, strains and general, “wear and tear” of everyday life, many people suffer from high blood pressure. Alarmingly, according to recent research, blood pressure only has to be marginally higher than normal for the risk of experiencing a stroke to increase.
This process is known as prehypertension, and according to the research can make people 55% more vulnerable to having a stroke, even if they have had no previous cardiovascular events or episodes. The research was conducted in the United States, Japan, China and India – with over half a million adult respondents. The researchers divided the sample into two groups: one of people at the lower end of the prehypertension range and one at the higher end and results indicated that those at the lower end were not significantly more pre-disposed to the risk of a stroke.
According to one of the senior researchers, Dr Bruce Oviagele, based at the University of California, in San Diego:
“The message for patients is that stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, and if you do fall into [the prehypertensive] category you should take it very seriously and strongly consider a change in lifestyle to try and reduce your risk of stroke.”
The research also revealed that the relationship between higher blood pressure and instances of stroke was more common for people under 65 – with a risk-factor that is 80% higher than people in the same age-range with lower blood-pressure. However, despite these findings, experts feel it is premature to advise everyone who suffers from slightly high, blood-pressure to use medication. Alternatively, recommended tools for normalising blood-pressure include smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, and regular exercise, reducing salt-intake and maintaining a sensible weight – approaches that can be used to enhance your health and wellbeing, generally.
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