Nurse in home – High blood pressure is one of the major health problems among older adults in the United States. Unfortunately, many of hypertension patients are undiagnosed. Lack of knowledge about this health problem and being diagnosed increase risks for older adults. Therefore, it’s essential for every senior to be aware of their risk factors that can lead to high blood pressure.
Here are the major risk factors for hypertension that every senior should know about.
Factors that you can’t control – Nurse in home
Age – As a person ages, the risk of high blood pressure increases too. Their blood vessels gradually lose some elastic quality, which puts them at the risk of increased blood pressure.
Gender – According to reports, older women are more likely to develop this health condition, when compared to older men.
Family History – If you have a family history of hypertension, then you too are at a higher risk of developing this condition.
Factors that you can control
Lack of physical activity – Many older adults suffer from high blood pressure due to the lack of physical activity. Not exercising regularly and lack of physical activity in day-to-day life affects the overall health including blood pressure. Nurse in home help in physical activity.
Unhealthy diet – Many seniors follow an unhealthy diet (high in salt, calories, fat and sugar), which increases the risk of hypertension.
Obesity – Older adults, who are overweight or obese, may also suffer from high blood pressure. Obesity puts seniors at the risk of heart diseases too.
Seniors can control aforementioned factors, which is a comfort. All they have to do is try to control their unhealthy habits, follow a healthy diet, shed extra weight and exercise regularly.
And, if they need help in this task, then Always Best Care’s caregivers are there to help with meals, mobility and more