Who are At Risk of High Blood Pressure?
People who are genetically sensitive to sodium generally experience high Blood Pressure from excessive salt intake. People who are most likely to be salt sensitive include: • Children of parents with hypertension • African Americans • People over 50 years of age It is important to keep in mind that not everyone is salt sensitive. As hypertension in the body becomes prolonged, the risk for heart failure, vascular disease, kidney failure and heart stroke increases. Food Guidelines to Control Blood Pressure Dietary factors have a high rate of influence on Blood Pressure. People with hypertension can control it by following these food guidelines. Avoid Foods High in Sodium Sodium causes vasoconstriction – the narrowing of blood vessels. Because of this, the amount of space blood has to travel through decreases. It leads to an increase in the resistance the blood has to overcome. Due to this increased resistance it becomes more difficult for the arteries to expand with each heart beat. It c
