Brisk walking for 30mins daily may cut BP risk in people with family history

Washington, May 15 (ANI): Moderate exercise and increased cardiovascular fitness can help those with family history of high blood pressure to significantly reduce their risk of developing the disease, say researchers.

In a study of more than 6,000 people, those who had a parent with high blood pressure but were highly fit had a 34 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure themselves, compared to those with a low-fitness level who had the same parental history.

"Understanding the roles that family history and fitness play in chronic diseases is critically important," said Robin P. Shook, M.S., study lead author and a doctoral graduate student in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

"The results of this study send a very practical message, which is that even a very realistic, moderate amount of exercise - which we define as brisk walking for 150 minutes per week - can provide a huge health benefit, particularly to people predisposed to hypertension because of their family history," he explained.

Previous research had indicated that parental history accounts for about 35 percent to 65 percent of the variability in blood pressure among offspring, with varying levels of risk based on which parent developed it and the age of onset.

Researchers followed a group of 6,278 predominantly Caucasian adults 20- to 80-years-old for an average 4.7 years. The participants were patients of the Cooper Clinic, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventive medicine, research and education in Dallas. Thirty-three percent of participants reported that a parent had hypertension.

When the study began, all participants were healthy, reported no physician diagnosis of hypertension, and achieved an exercise test score of at least 85 percent of their age-predicted maximal heart rate. Researchers determined participants' cardiorespiratory fitness using a maximal treadmill exercise test.

During the study, 1,545 participants reported they had developed hypertension.

Combining those with and without a family history of high blood pressure, high levels of fitness were associated with a 42 percent lower risk of developing hypertension, and moderate levels of fitness with a 26 percent lower risk, the researchers found.

People with both a low level of fitness and a parent with hypertension had a 70 percent higher risk for developing hypertension compared with highly fit people with no parental history.

Those with a high level of fitness and a parent with hypertension experienced only a 16 percent higher risk of developing hypertension compared to those who were fit and had no parental history.

"The correlation between fitness levels, parental history and risk are impossible to ignore. This awareness can serve the clinician and the patient, as they work together to find effective and reasonable ways to avoid the diseases that have affected their family members - in some cases, for generations," Shook said.

The research findings may not apply to all people because the majority of the study participants were relatively fit, well-educated, middle to upper class white men.

The findings support the American Heart Association's recommendations of moderately intense physical activity, such as brisk walking, for 30 minutes or longer at least five days a week.

The study was published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension. (ANI)

                                                                KEEP WALKING

 

      

Walk for a healthy heart

 

Discover the pleasures of walking and enjoy the good health that comes with it

 

Walk for everything---from moving a paper to another section in the office to buying groceries.

never press the bell for an attender when you can walk to get the work done.

walking is great tonic for the heart and plays an important role in preventing heart disease,controlling hypertension,diabetes,stress and insomniia (sleeplessness),and also keeping moodswings under control.a good walk can also help check your bulging waistline.

 

Here are some important types of walking:

 

The healthy walk:

 

This is a typical early morning walk where the pace is not brisk or tiresome.it is paced out but continous.this type of walk is tailor-made for beginners,those who cannot take a brisk walk or run,and people who are recovering from an illness or a surgery.the physiological benefits of this type of walking include conserving and restoring physical and psychological health.at the physical level a healthy walk increases the rate at which your heart and lungs work.

a healthy walk does not put stress on your hips, knees and ankles.

 

So how does it help?

 

Muscles need oxygen,so your breathing pattern changes and your heart starts pumping faster, supplying blood to all major muscles of the body.thus the muscles get more oxygen and, in the process, there is an overall improvement in health.

 

The stress buster walk:

 

This is a ten minute walk or stroll after every two hours of work. It is ideal not only to pep up your heart but also break the monotony of office work. ideally you should try to go for a stroll outside the work area so that you get exposed to mild sunlight.

 

This walk  helps the body to change its chemistry and keeps you alert. It also frees the mind from the chaos of monotonous job commitments, to heighten the mood and alleviate the spirit.

 

If you are not able to move out, use the stairs both ways, instead of the lift, for your circulatory and respiratory system to work optimally. in stress buster walking too, the heart beats faster the muscles and the brain gets more oxygen. This makes the person more alert. Research has shown that busy executives are able to recall things faster and plan better after this walk.

 

The meditative walk:

 

This is more for the mind rather than the muscles. The focus is on planned breathing. Some call it conscious breathing. This walk is designed to recharge your inner batteries and to sharpen your thoughts while acting on the heart too. How do you do it?

 

Select an object like a tree or a building or even a far-off lamp post, as you walk towards the object, count your breath--inhalation and exhalation, and anchor your mind on your basic rhythm of life (prana) until you reach the object.

 

The weight loss fitness walk:

 

This type of walk involves speed, sustained pace and longer distance. This walk speeds up the metabolic rate and helps in burning off excessive fat and calories. It also tones up the entire major muscles group, mainly that of the heart. It also helps in keeping the vital blood supplying arteries in the heart open and the heart muscles get stronger as they get more oxygen-rich blood.

 

This walk also keeps the body trim and the mind alert. Do not over-do this. Ideally a twenty minute walk is good enough for people around forty, and forty minutes for those in the twenties.

 

JUST KEEP WALKING, FOR GOOD HEALTH