High Blood Pressure - A Silent Killer
According to the World Health Organization over a billion adults around the world suffer from high blood pressure. It is now taking steps to fight against what is called a silent killer. High blood pressure can lead to strokes and a heart attack.
Almost 10 million people die of these two diseases every year. They are the number one causes of death globally. High blood pressure also leads to kidney failure, blindness and other illnesses. It often goes hand in hand with diabetes and obesity, which increases heath risks even further.
As the WHO reports, people in developing countries in Africa suffer more from high blood pressure than people in developed countries. The reason is that health care in the developed world is much better organized and people go to the doctor soon enough.
High blood pressure should never be ignored and always taken seriously. It is a warning sign from your body that something is not OK. Although people may live with high blood pressure for years without even knowing it, it is important to check your blood pressure regularly and take the necessary steps.
The WHO says that you can reduce your blood pressure by changing your living habits. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, avoiding alcohol and nicotine are some things that you can do without consulting a doctor.
Related Topics
- Blood
- The Human Heart
- Diabetes
- Nutrition - How the Body Uses Food
- Obesity Threatens Women's Health in Great Britain
- Physical Fitness
- Obese Teenagers Show Signs of Heart Disease
Words
- according to = as reported by
- although = while
- avoid = keep away from
- balanced diet = all kinds of food that your body needs in order to be healthy and grow properly
- billon = a thousand million
- blindness = not being able to see
- blood pressure = the force with which blood flows through your body
- cause = reason
- consult = ask, go to
- developed countries = rich countries
- developing countries = poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America
- diabetes = serious disease in which there is too much sugar in your blood
- failure = if something stops working
- globally = around the world
- ignore = pay no attention to
- kidney = one of the two organs in your lower back that separates waste products from your blood and makes urine
- necessary = needed
- obesity = when someone is fat in an unhealthy way
- reduce = lower
- regularly = often
- step = measure, action
- stroke = when a blood vessel suddenly breaks or gets blocked
- suffer = to be ill with