Many people have to take pills to get their blood pressure under control.
Here, a cardiologist and university chief physician explains how to improve your values without medication.
The danger is enormous: high blood pressure is one of the so-called silent killers, it massively increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
But there is some encouraging news about this major health issue: It is within our power to improve levels through relatively simple lifestyle changes.
The effect is far greater than many people think: "This can reduce blood pressure by around ten mmHg after just a few weeks - you can usually do just as much with a single drug.
mmHg is the experts’ unit of measurement for blood pressure,” explains cardiologist Professor Martin Halle from the University Hospital Rechts der Isar, chief physician for preventive sports medicine and sports cardiology.
The magic words are: nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.
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Hypertension: The salt traps in our diet
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Explains the natural recipe for success for a healthier blood pressure: Professor Martin Halle, cardiologist, preventive physician and chief physician at the university hospital on the right side of the Isar.
© Felix Hörhager
Certain foods can have a major impact on blood pressure, most notably salt.
"It draws water into the vessels, thereby increasing the pressure," explains Prof. Halle.
Our staple foods contain large amounts of salt.
"Even two slices of wholemeal bread cover the salt requirement for a whole day." Other salt traps are meat, sausage and cheese.
"That's why it makes sense to avoid these foods at least one day a week.
On the other days, you should try to limit consumption,” advises the preventive physician.
His tips: replace cheese with quark with pieces of paprika, buy roast beef at the meat counter rather than sausage.
Or even better: Instead of sausage, eat fish more often.
Because it contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which in turn promote the elasticity of the vessels.
The valuable unsaturated fatty acids are also found in olive and rapeseed oil, in nuts and in avocados.
Speaking of vegetables: “You should cook them without salt if possible.
Instead, you can add salt to potatoes at the table, for example.
You then need significantly less salt,” says Prof. Halle.
But how do you add flavor to food without salt?
As an alternative, he recommends strong seasoning, for example with curry, chili, cayenne pepper or many different herbs.
Movement against high blood pressure: That's what matters
"You can train the blood vessels," says Prof. Halle and explains: "When you move, the blood circulates stronger and faster in the body.
It brushes past the vessel walls, thereby promoting their elasticity.” Regularity is crucial here.
So it is better to train for shorter periods more often than for longer periods of time.
"According to studies, six times a week ten minutes of exercise bring more than two times 30 minutes to regulate blood pressure," says Prof. Halle.
Brisk walking or cycling is suitable, for example, and in winter cross-country skiing or ice-skating.
Important: Especially for the untrained, it makes no sense at all to start jogging or pedaling as if bitten by a tarantula.
Because the blood pressure is driven too high,
and the patient feels worse after the training session than before, apart from the extreme risks such as a heart attack or stroke.
Therefore, the following applies: "train moderately, increase the load slowly," advises Prof. Halle.
If you want to start exercising, it is best to have a doctor check you up beforehand.
"Sometimes it can make sense to first take a drug to lower blood pressure and thereby avoid too great a training load - practically a pill as a jump-start," says the sports medicine specialist.
On the other hand, the training often shows an effect after just a few weeks: "It is quite realistic that the blood pressure drops by about ten mmHg - and the positive body feeling increases enormously." Positive side effect: Extra pounds often tumble.
"Whoever takes the first step has already won"
Training for better vital signs is not a question of age
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"Exercise is worthwhile at any age - for example, brisk walks or Nordic walking," says prevention physician Prof. Martin Halle.
© Mauritius Images
Incidentally, training is not a question of age: "It is always worthwhile, at any age, to integrate more exercise into everyday life - because it always does something for your health and well-being.
You're never too old or too sick for it.
Those who don't move or move too little become frail earlier than others.
On the other hand, those who are regularly physically active age more healthily.
Those who exercise are less restricted, remain mentally fit, have more social contacts and a longer life expectancy.
Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes can be prevented by recurring training stimuli – i.e. by going for brisk walks every day.”
Study in retirement homes: This is how effective a regular training program is
Professor Halle and his team of scientists are currently investigating how effective training can be in old age as part of a large scientific study in retirement homes.
Under the motto "Best form - sport knows no age", some very elderly participants train there on special equipment. The innovative project is supported by the Beisheim Foundation.
"Regular training is the best medicine to maintain quality of life in old age," says Prof. Halle.
“People who exercise regularly improve their quality of life and performance, suffer less from chronic illnesses such as those affecting the cardiovascular system, diabetes or dementia, are physically less restricted, remain mentally fit, have more social contacts and a longer life expectancy.
Incidentally, training in top form in retirement homes not only strengthens the cardiovascular system, but also strength.
Read here why this is so important for seniors.
Stress, lack of sleep and breathing pauses are poison for blood pressure
In addition to diet and exercise, lifestyle factors also play an important role in the development of high blood pressure.
Stress and lack of sleep in particular are poison for blood pressure.
“The increased stress hormones lead to a faster pulse, stronger contraction of the heart muscle and constriction of the blood vessels in the body.
All factors that increase blood pressure,” explains Prof. Halle.
“Very important here: untrained people should not do intensive sports when they are stressed.
As a result, the blood pressure can rise exorbitantly.” Snoring can play a role in lack of sleep – more precisely, the sleep apnea syndrome.
The patient has breathing pauses.
"This can lead to extreme increases in blood pressure during the night," warns Prof. Halle.
Studies have shown that