High blood pressure is a health issue that often is silent. It continues and damages your blood vessels in the process, increasing your risk of a stroke or heart attack. You may wonder if genetics plays a role and what you can do to reduce your risk, whether it does or doesn't. At Discover Health, serving Bradenton, FL, and the nearby region, Dr. Jeremy McConnell can help you prevent it. And if the worst happens, we can also manage it.
Genetics of High Blood Pressure
We see it a lot — patients come in with one or both parents who have hypertension. The relationship between high blood pressure and genetics isn't straightforward, though. There are rare genetic conditions that can cause hypertension. We should mention that genetic factors can play a role in obesity and other risk factors for high blood pressure.
Helping You Prevent High Blood Pressure
Sometimes, health issues associated with genetics are inevitable. Fortunately, though, it is possible to ward off high blood pressure or delay its onset despite being genetically predisposed to it.
First and foremost, you can reduce your risk by managing your weight since obesity is a leading factor. For this, we recommend eating a healthy diet rich in lean proteins, whole-grain carbs, vegetables, and fruits. Portion control is crucial, and so is regular exercise.
The foods you eat also play a role in the onset of high blood pressure. For instance, a high sodium intake causes you to retain more fluid. And when all that fluid is going through your vessels, it's pressing against the vessel's walls much harder. Excess levels of sodium can also cause vasoconstriction, further exasperating your risk.
Other foods and beverages to avoid include alcohol, sugary and fatty foods, and excessive caffeine. Avoiding tobacco and illicit drug use is also vital.
Helping You Manage It
If you should happen to develop it, whether your hypertension is from genetics or not, we can assist at our Bradenton, FL, office.
Sometimes, lifestyle changes are enough to adequately control it. However, in other cases, we may need to recommend a medication that lowers your blood pressure in addition to those lifestyle changes.
We should note that hypertension is a chronic condition, and we'll continuously monitor your readings and adjust your treatment accordingly.
Discover Health, serving Bradenton, FL, and the general vicinity, is here to help you remain healthy for years to come. Dr. McConnell can help you prevent high blood pressure, even if it's genetic in some cases. If you should have, we're able to manage it and prevent complications for as long as possible.