High blood pressure affects an estimated 1 in 3 of all adults and around a third of these remain undiagnosed, equating to around 4.2 million people in England alone.
The “silent killer” often has no symptoms but left untreated can lead to fatal heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia.
The UK government has initiated an NHS campaign, backed by leading UK heart foundations and charities, to find the missing millions who have undiagnosed high blood pressure. The campaign, “Get your blood pressure checked”, is part of the Pharmacy First programme where the NHS has expanded its pharmacy offering to include 2.5 million more blood pressure checks within local pharmacies – which could be life-saving.
But what to do if you discover you are one of the 1 in 3 who have high blood pressure? The UK government provides a number of recommendations for diet and lifestyle changes including reducing salt in your diet
It is known that reducing salt in your diet everyday could make an enormous impact on your health and treatment of high blood pressure. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that people who are already on blood pressure medication can lower their blood pressure even more by limiting sodium in their diets. Regardless of medication, they found that 70-75% people over 50 are likely to see a reduction in their blood pressure if they lower sodium in their diet. According to the authors, the drop in blood pressure while on a low-sodium diet was quick, dramatic and in line with blood pressure medication.
It is best to be mindful of your salt intake at any age. Even though high blood pressure is most common in adults, it is not restricted to the elderly and infirm. In fact, persistent elevation in blood pressure due to bad lifestyle habits, unhealthy diets or lack of exercise can lead to serious, yet preventable, diseases unless identified and treated early.
Suölo® Reduced Sodium Sea Salt & Seasonings have 50% less sodium than regular salt, so swapping your regular salt for Suölo® means you can instantly cut in half your sodium intake from the foods you cook and eat at home, but still maintain great taste and flavour.
Time to change to Suölo®!
Consult your doctor before use if you take medication for diabetes, heart disease or kidney disorders