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For years people have been told that the diet and lifestyle choices that are so typical in the Western world are the cause of the overwhelming problem with hypertension, or high blood pressure.<\/p>\nFor years people have been told that the diet and lifestyle choices that are so typical in the Western world are the cause of the overwhelming problem with hypertension, or high blood pressure.<\/p>\n
However, new research out of China shows that more than one third of adults there show evidence of high blood pressure, even when Western diet trends are not present.<\/p>\n
In research presented by the World Hypertension League, more than 330 million people in China suffer from hypertension.<\/p>\n
It is such a problem that it is occurring at a rate of 1 in 5 for men ages 25 to 34. For decades, Western diet trends were being blamed as the reason for hypertension globally, but not everyone eats a Western diet; indeed by its very definition it is dominant in the Western hemisphere- namely the US.<\/p>\n
So why do so many people in Asia present with high blood pressure? An abundance of evidence points to one common thread that is present no matter where a person lives, putting everyone at basically the same risk of developing hypertension\u2026 <\/p>\n
It is true that lifestyle choices have a lot to do with eliminating high blood pressure, but to get at the real issue causing it, one must address the source, which always points back to stress. <\/p>\n
There are four types of stress that cause high blood pressure:<\/p>\n
Physical \u2013 when you run the track your blood pressure goes up. Then it drops down. However, if you are always under a lot of physical stress (especially as we age), high blood pressure can become chronic.<\/p>\n
Emotional \u2013 the aspect we most of contribute to high blood pressure. This includes money worries, relationship issues, concern about our kids, overreacting emotionally to situations etc.<\/p>\n
Sensory \u2013 studies have shown that people who live around lots of noises such as traffic have higher levels of stress hormones in their blood. Watching TV, flying in a loud plane, working in a factory can all contribute to sensory stress and high blood pressure. <\/p>\n
Mental \u2013 mental challenges are great. Playing Sudoku, chess or doing the crossword puzzle will all help you keep mental sharpness for the rest of your life. But get stuck on a mental challenge that you just can\u2019t stop thinking about, and be sure that your blood pressure will spike. Your brain uses 20% – 40% of the blood oxygen. You can do the math if you overuse it.<\/p>\n
The four types of stress accumulate. So if you\u2019re under heavy physical stress and then are faced with increases in emotional and mental stress, your normal blood pressure may skyrocket.<\/p>\n
Lots of people with high blood pressure tell me they\u2019re not stressed. This may be true in an emotional sense. However, I\u2019ve never met a person with high blood pressure who didn\u2019t also have high cortisol (stress hormone) levels when measured.<\/p>\n