10 Foods That Cause High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure refers to the pressure that circulates in the blood vessels. Most of the pressure is due to the pumping of the heart. It is usually expressed in terms of systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the maximum pressure when the heart is beating while diastolic pressure is the pressure between beats. It is one of the vital signs besides heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and body temperature. Blood pressure is influenced by factors such as arterial stiffness, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance emotional state, situation, activity, and health states.
High blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is persistently elevated (above 130/80 or 140/90 mmHg). It can be classified as primary or secondary high blood pressure. It has been estimated that about 90 to 95 percent of cases are primary due to genetic and lifestyle factors. The remaining 5 to 10 percent can be attributed to identifiable causes such as chronic kidney disease, endocrine disorders, kidney artery narrowing, and use of birth control pills.
High blood pressure affects about 16 to 37 percent of the global population. In 2010, it was estimated that high blood pressure was a factor that contributed to about 18 percent of global deaths (9.4 million). This article looks at 10 foods that cause high blood pressure.
