According to health professionals, these simple rules apply to all patients. And you, are you ready to adopt them?
Tl;dr
- High blood pressure affects nearly 30% of the French population.
- ESC Annual Congress 2024 highlights the importance of healthy eating to combat hypertension.
- Doctors recommend, among other things, the Mediterranean diet and controlling salt and sugar consumption.
- Regular physical activity is also recommended for the control of hypertension.
A public health scourge: high blood pressure
High blood pressure (HBP), a chronic disease affecting nearly 30% of the French population, is a real public health problem. With 1.6 million new patients each year, it is essential not to ignore it. Indeed, it can cause serious complications, including severe heart damage such as angina or myocardial infarction.
Food solutions to combat hypertension
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Annual Congress 2024, held in London, highlighted the importance of diet in the fight against hypertension. For patients with hypertension, “Diet plays a crucial role in both managing blood pressure control and the broader benefit to cardiovascular health.” say the doctors present. They recommend a healthy and balanced diet, based on a few simple principles to follow:
- Consume less than 5 g of salt per day;
- Enrich your diet with potassium if you have difficulty restricting salt and increase your intake through fruits and vegetables;
- Limit consumption of free sugars and sugary drinks;
- Avoid alcohol or do not exceed 100 g/week.
The Mediterranean diet: an ally against hypertension
These dietary rules are part of the Mediterranean diet, recognized by health professionals. It is based on the consumption of fresh, local, seasonal and minimally processed products, while limiting sweets and processed foods.
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The importance of physical activity
Finally, for optimal effectiveness, this diet must be coupled with regular physical activity. Doctors recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or, alternatively, 75 minutes of intense activity spread over three days.
Editorial opinion
To combat HBP, a comprehensive approach must be adopted, combining healthy eating and physical activity. Thus, the Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh produce and low in salt and sugar, combined with regular physical activity, seems to be an appropriate response to this public health problem. The recommendations of the ESC 2024 Congress remind us that the prevention and control of HBP are within everyone’s reach, as long as we give ourselves the means.
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