Have regular checks, keep healthy lifestyle to avoid hypertension

 

Hiking is one of the easiest ways to keep healthy in HK (Photo by Vir Lumicao)

The Department of Health has urged the public to maintain a healthy lifestyle and pay attention to their blood pressure level as it marked World Hypertension Day today, May 17.

Hypertension or high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition that is diagnosed when the pressure in a person’s blood vessels exceeds 140/90 mmHg (diastolic and systolic levels). It is a common ailment but can lead to serious complications if not detected early.

If left uncontrolled or not properly treated, hypertension can lead to serious health problems including stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.

Some people with high blood pressure may not feel symptoms so the only way to find out if one has this condition is to get regular check-ups.

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According to the DH, the Population Health Survey (PHS) 2020-22 it conducted revealed that nearly 30 per cent of non-institutionalised persons aged 15 to 84 had hypertension in Hong Kong.

The prevalence increased with age from less than 5 per cent among persons aged 15 to 24 to over a half among persons aged 65 to 84.

Among those with hypertension, more than 40 per cent were not aware they had the condition until they had themselves examined.

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The DH said that keeping healthy is important to prevent hypertension. This means everyone should keep an optimal body weight and waist circumference, cut back on salt and have a balanced diet, and remain physically active.

People are also urged to refrain from drinking alcohol, to not smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.

One of the keys to preventing hypertension is to avoid salty food. The higher the salt intake, the higher the risk of hypertension, said the DH.

Despite a World Health Organization advisory that healthy adults should consume less than 5 grams of salt per day, the average person in Hong Kong between the age of 15 to 84 was found to consume  8.4 grams of salt each day.

Aside from limiting their salt intake, people are urged to use iodised salt instead of ordinary table salt so as to maintain adequate iodine nutrition.

Equally important is the need to exercise regularly. Adults must engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of physical activities of moderate intensity (such as brisk walking) or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activities (such as jogging) every week to keep healthy and reduce blood pressure.

For early detection of hypertension, persons aged 45 and above are encouraged to undergo medical screening by their family doctors or at the District Health Centre (DHC)/DHC Express.

More information on hypertension is available on the DH's thematic page at www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/25/35390.html.

 

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