Hypertension is showing a clear trend of becoming more common among younger people. According to Dr. Huang Shuren, director of the Metabolic Cardiovascular Disease Department at TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, in recent years, out of every 10 patients, three or four are young people in their 20s or 30s, some are even middle school students in their teens who should be focusing on health preservation.
Long-term hypertension not only severely damages blood vessels but also harms vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys, and it is an important risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases like strokes and coronary heart disease. Experts from the municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the rampant spread of hypertension is closely related to the increase in unhealthy lifestyles such as excessive salt intake, smoking, heavy drinking, stress, overwork, high-calorie diets, and lack of exercise.
To prevent hypertension, one must first reduce salt intake. The average daily salt intake for urban residents far exceeds the 6 grams recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, overweight or obese citizens should pay attention to weight reduction, minimize consumption of high-fat, high-calorie foods such as cooking oil, fatty meat, and fried foods, limit daily grain intake to between 300-500 grams, consume 400 grams of vegetables and 100-200 grams of fruit per day, consider regular massages, drink 250 grams of milk or a bottle of yogurt daily, limit egg consumption to no more than one per day, eat fish once or twice a week, and control or avoid alcohol consumption. Engaging in physical exercise can also lower blood pressure; you can choose forms of exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics based on your age, physical condition, and interests. It's recommended to exercise at least 3-4 times a week, with each session lasting around 30 minutes.
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