How to Prevent High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading preventable cause of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure in India. Roughly 1 in 4 Indian adults has it, and many don't know — which is why it's called a "silent" disease.

What blood pressure means

• Systolic (first/top number) — pressure when the heart beats.
• Diastolic (second/bottom number) — pressure when it rests.
• Normal: below 120/80. High: 130/80 or above consistently. Hypertension: 140/90 or above.

Prevention steps that actually move the number

• Reduce salt — under 5 g (about 1 level teaspoon) per day. Biggest Indian salt sources: pickles, papads, namkeens, biscuits, processed food, added table salt, bread. Read labels; cook at home where you control it.
• Reach and keep a healthy weight — each kilo lost lowers BP a little.
• Move every day — 30 minutes of brisk walk, cycling, swimming or sport. Climbing stairs counts.
• Eat a DASH-style pattern — high in fruit, vegetables, dals, whole grains, low-fat dairy; low in red meat, added sugar.
• Cut alcohol — if you drink, keep it low; more alcohol means higher BP.
• Quit smoking — every cigarette spikes BP for 30 minutes; long-term it damages arteries.
• Manage stress and sleep — 7-8 hours of sleep, simple stress-reduction such as yoga, pranayama, walking, or talking to someone.

Check your BP

• Every adult should know their BP. Annual checks are cheap and often free at government clinics.
• If BP is borderline or high, consider a home BP monitor — the same numbers over many days matter more than any one reading.
• After 40, or earlier if you have a family history of hypertension, stroke, or kidney disease, check yearly.

If lifestyle measures don't bring BP below 140/90, medication is usually needed. Generic BP tablets are inexpensive, effective and widely available in India; most people tolerate them well. Untreated high BP silently damages the brain, heart and kidneys — once damage happens it often can't be reversed.