High blood pressure at 20

[tushar93]

Hii.. I am 20 yrs old.. Male.. My father and mother both have a problem of hypertension.. when i was 15-16 yrs old i had a problem of high bp (140/90).. My doctor ran a few tests and told me it's because of high cholesterol and obesity.. i controlled my diet and started exercise on a regular basis and brought it under control.. but now again i am having same problems..recently when i got it checked it was 158/90 ..all of my reports like cholesterol,sodium, lipid profile are just fine..and i am not overweight anymore.. plz suggest how can i get rid of this problem.. i don't want to take the tablets for rest of my life like my parents do...

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hi, understand your anxiety. If hypertension runs in the family, you are likely to have high blood pressures. But you can postpone and control the high levels with lifestyle measures. Avoid those foods which are high in oil content. Eliminate alcohol, stop smoking and avoid caffeinated beverages. Practice relaxation techniques and avoid becoming overanxious and to Enjoy a Stress free Life.

In addition to this you need to be active, use any excuse to be physically active, walk daily for at least 30 minutes briskly, use the stairway instead of the elevator, think of walking to the supermarket, enjoy a sport, swimming, badminton lawn tennis etc.  This is the key to success.  This lifestyle has shown to prevent/postpone hypertension in many studies and scores over medications!

In addition get your sugars, cholesterol (lipids) and BP checked with your family physician once a year, and take preventive measures.  In spite of a good lifestyle if you are still going to develop hypertension then keep your levels down.  Good luck!      

[tushar93]

plz reply