It’s commonly referred to as the “silent killer.”

  High blood pressure (hypertension) is among the major contributors to heart disease and stroke in the United States. Heart disease and stroke killed an estimated 697,000 people — one every 34 seconds — in 2020.

  In recent decades, treatment of this disease has greatly improved via pharmaceuticals and from our improved understanding of the root causes. These improvements, combined with healthier habits, allow people with high blood pressure to control it and lead normal lives.

   Treating hypertension with healthy lifestyle habits was the topic of a two-hour session held recently at the Barnabas Center in Fernandina Beach. Feeding Northeast Florida Director of Health and Nutrition Rachel McCandless discussed related topics and conducted a session on diabetes. Her knowledge of the subject of healthy living to control blood pressure was informative and educational.

  “Just like diabetes, we may be born with a higher risk of high blood pressure,” McCandless said. “If it runs in your family, you are more likely to develop it. What you have to do is manage that risk.

Smoking is one of the highest causes of high blood pressure, she said. Smoking and lack of exercise don’t necessarily cause diabetes, but if you are at a higher risk, then doing those things increased your risk.

  The dietary expert explained further that smoking affects vessels from the heart. “They are like tubes,” she said while passing around thin balloons to demonstrate the pliability of healthy vessels. Participants were told to compare those to hardened plastic tubing representing vessels that harden and are unable to expand with the up and down beating of the heart.

  Exercise, she stressed, gives your blood vessels a boost and can help keep blood pressure in check.  “Your heart is one of the strongest muscles in your body,” McCandless said. “Stretching it out with physical activity is a great way to stay healthy. Strenuous exercise is not necessary, but movement is important. While you are moving around you are exercising the vessels and using up blood sugar. One of the best ways is to go for a walk after dinner. The best time to exercise is when you feel like it.”

  McCandless also discussed the important role one’s diet plays in controlling blood pressure and preventing other related illnesses.

  The latter portion of the session included a healthy, protein and seasoned vegetable lunch prepared by the speaker and featured foods that nourish the body without the negative effects of added fat, sugar, and salt.

  This combined knowledge, coupled with positive health habits like getting enough sleep and exercise, can reduce the chances of this so-called silent killer that causes early heart disease, strokes, and can possibly lead to death or diminished quality of life.

  For more information about Barnabas Center Health Service programs and other programs that deliver help and hope, please contact 904.261.7000 or visit BarnabasNassau.org.