DASH - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

Earlier this week, nutritionist Tracey Orwa held a webinar on hypertension and dietary approaches to stop hypertension, or DASH. For those of you who were not able to join, here are the key highlights.

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is chronic, persistent abnormal elevation of pressure within the arteries which are responsible for transporting blood to the body.

What are the risk factors?

There are a few known risk factors of hypertension.

· Cardiovascular diseases – a vast majority of hypertensive patients have additional risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes and cholesterol.

· Lifestyle factors - high intake of fatty foods, salt, and alcohol, as well as smoking.

·       Family History - e.g. if a parent has hypertension.

·       Certain medications

What is the prevalence in Kenya?

According to the World Health Organization, more than a quarter of the adult population in Kenya have hypertension, more men (29.2%) than women (27.9%). The vast majority (58.3%) of people living with hypertension are aged between 60-69 years, and most consider hypertension a condition related to age, but it is important to remember that close to 1 in every 5 people with hypertension are far younger, between 19-29 years. Worryingly, the Kenya Non-Communicable Disease Strategic Plan 2021-2025 reports only 4% of the population on treatment in the country have achieved good control of their hypertension.

Worldwide, an estimated 1.28 billion adults have hypertension. Two thirds of them live in low- and middle-income countries.

What are the complications of Hypertension?

Hypertension is one of the major causes of premature death and the single biggest risk factor for stroke. If left untreated, it can cause strokes by blocking or bursting arteries that supply oxygen to the brain. It can cause damage to the heart and other organs. The good news is managing hypertension through lifestyle, dietary and medication measures can reduce risks significantly.

Dietary Considerations

Diet plays a major role in the management and prevention of hypertension. Dietary approaches to stop hypertension include:

1.    Reducing salt intake to one teaspoon only a day (5 grams of salt). Ways to do this include not adding salt at the table when food is served, and avoiding foods with high salt content such as sausages, bacon, and canned food.

2.    Increasing fiber intake. Increasing the servings of vegetables to 6-8 servings and 2-3 servings of fruits per day will improve fiber intake.

3.    Moderating alcohol intake. The recommended alcohol limit is one unit of alcohol per sitting for women and two units for men. A unit is a single measure of spirits (37.5%) OR 1.2-pint (4%) lager OR 87.5ml of (12%) wine.

4.    Increasing intake of potassium rich foods such as bananas, avocados, beans, lentils, and spinach

5.    Increasing intake of magnesium rich foods such as rolled oats, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and spinach.

6.    Increasing intake of calcium rich foods such as milk, cheese, and broccoli

7.    Eliminating tobacco use.

8.    Incorporating physical activity 30-45 mins for 3- 4 days a week.

9.    Reducing, and where possible, eliminating the intake of saturated and trans-fats such as animal fat/ cooking fat, and opting for for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil, as well as nuts and seeds. Alternative meat options for high protein low fat, are lean meat and skinless chicken.

What to do with this information?

Hypertension is worrying, and is on the increase in Kenya. The good news is that hypertension can be prevented and managed by modifying our lifestyles and managing any existing risk factors.

If you have any questions or need any more information about hypertension or any health care issues, contact HealthX on support@healthxafrica.com or via our toll-free number 0800 720 795.