Did you know dining out increases your risk for high blood pressure?
Why?
Restaurant foods, whether it be a sit down meal or drive-thru, are typically high in both salt and fat.
A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension is the first to show a direct connection between dining out and high blood pressure.
Up to this point, studies have linked dining out to a higher intake of calories, salt, and saturated fat…all of which are linked to high blood pressure.
Researchers focused on young adults. High blood pressure earlier in life has been associated with future high blood pressure and heart disease risks. Researchers wanted to determine the impact of lifestyle factors on prehypertension and hypertension in young adults.
Prehypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure between 120-139mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure between 80-89mm Hg. Hypertension — another term for high blood pressure – is defined as a systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90mm Hg.
Please note the “and/or” used above. Both numbers do not have to be elevated to be diagnosed with prehypertension or hypertension. If systolic alone is high, that can lead to a diagnosis. If diastolic alone is high the same applies.
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