Almost 1 billion people around the globe have high blood pressure. Even in some areas of Africa, it’s becoming a common problem.
Now the push is on to get world governments to fight high blood pressure — just as they’ve come together before to fight infectious diseases.
Most people, even in the U.S., don’t adequately treat this condition. The risks are heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, even dementia.
About one-third of adults in the U.S., Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela have high blood pressure. But it’s even worse in Western Europe with a 38% rate in England, Italy, and Sweden; 45% in Spain and a whopping 55% in Germany.
Even in China, over 25% of adults have high blood pressure. Same with Ghana and South Africa.
What’s Causing This Epidemic?
The fastest growing problem areas are developing countries that are adopting Western-style urban economies. High blood pressure is still uncommon in rural areas.
As populations around the world become older and fatter, blood pressure problems are expected to skyrocket.
If you have this condition, lose any extra weight. That may solve the problem without the need for medication.
Certain Foods May Help
Always see your doctor for the appropriate medical treatment. You may also want to discuss with your doctor the possibility of taking a dietary approach.
As my regular readers know, my mother reduced her blood pressure to 132/78 from 168/80 in just 7 weeks using only the I Love to Cheat diet. No medication.
In addition to losing up to 2 pounds a week, we added certain foods to her diet that were supposed to lower blood pressure. There was little or no salt restriction.
So there’s no reason to leave this condition untreated.
Make sure you get your blood pressure checked by a doctor at least once every 2 years — more often, if necessary.
Ideally, you want your reading to be less than 120/80 mm Hg.
Don’t think you’re safe because you have no symptoms. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer.”
So don’t wait for a government ad campaign to spur you to action. Get checked today.
