Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi - (Page 17)

e call today North Mississippi Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Center in Tupelo is dedicated to the practice of family medicine and to providing the highest quality of patient care. Visit www.nmhs. net/fmrc to learn more. go If you have high blood pressure (aka hypertension), the ﬁrst treatment is to overhaul your diet. What does that mean? Reducing your salt intake and adopting the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This eating plan is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat, and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk and dairy products. It’s rich in the minerals potassium, magnesium and calcium. But if you only make one change, cut your salt intake. “High sodium intake is a major factor in hypertension,” Hong says. To learn more about DASH, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov and search “dash.” eat for optimal flow By making the most of your free time, you can keep your blood pressure low. Regular meditation, for example, may have positive effects. And you don’t have to sit crosslegged to get them. Relax in a comfortable chair with your eyes closed and visualize a peaceful, quiet place or situation. Slowly tense and release each muscle group throughout your body. Looking on the bright side helps too. “Keeping a positive attitude and a sense of humor can lower your stress,” Rubin says. In addition, abstaining from alcohol and cigarettes will reduce your blood pressure, as will managing your weight. Make a point of exercising regularly—at least 30 minutes a day, ﬁve days of the week. It not only will help you keep the pounds off, but it also will counteract the effects of stress. don’t go too low reduce stress If high blood pressure is bad, then low blood pressure is good, right? Wrong. It turns out that lower may not always be better, according to a study presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s annual scientific meeting in May 2009. After analyzing 10,000 patients, researchers found that low blood pressure levels may lead to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. How do you know if your blood pressure is too low? You get dizzy when you stand up and your heart starts beating very, very fast, says John Mitchell, M.D., board-certified family physician and faculty member at North Mississippi Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Center in Tupelo. “Low blood pressure like that can be associated with something serious like hemorrhage or loss of blood or bodily fluids.” when all else fails If you do all of the above and your blood pressure still doesn’t budge, don’t be discouraged. You may require medication, especially if you have a genetic propensity toward hypertension. PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTOLIBRARY “It’s important to be proactive about your blood pressure,” Hong says. “And if you have genes for hypertension, then it’s important that you start lifestyle modiﬁcations and medication earlier so you can prevent future events such as stroke and heart attack.” vim & vigor · s p ri ng 2010 http://www.nmhs.net/fmrc http://www.nmhs.net/fmrc http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010- North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Weight-loss Success Stories
Come See Us
Hit the Links
Excuses, Excuses
Easing the Pressure
Prostate Predicament
On Mended Knees
Imaging IQ
Will Power
Caregiving: A Survival Guide
Form Factors
Wake-Up Call
Stroke of Luck
Weight Matters
History Lesson
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi