Hypertension is called the ‘silent killer’ because it can be present without symptoms or discomfort. Hypertension (high blood pressure) affects an estimated one in three adults worldwide. Over time it can damage blood vessels and lead to serious health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney damage and other health issues.¹

Our recent report found cardiovascular disease is a top cost driver across multiple industries in MAXIS GBN claims data.

It’s World Hypertension Day on 17 May, and given the impact this silent killer could be having on your people's health and your medical claims costs, we want to tell you a bit more about hypertension and highlight a few steps that we can all can take to reduce the risk of developing it.

1. Hypertension risk factors

Hypertension can be symptomless and easily missed, which is why it’s important to know your risk factors and get your blood pressure checked regularly. Risk factors include:

• having a family history of high blood pressure
• being aged over 65
• having co-existing diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease
• being overweight or obese
• being physically inactive
• drinking too much alcohol or smoking tobacco
• genetic factors including ethnicity
• stress
• living in a socially deprived area
• eating too much salt and not enough fruits and vegetables.²

2. Hypertension symptoms

Although high blood pressure can be hard to spot, it’s helpful to be aware of the key symptoms. These can include blurred vision, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and headaches.³

3. Pass on the salt

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most of us eat far too much salt, which is a major risk factor for hypertension. The WHO recommends adults limit sodium intake to less than five grams of salt a day (just under a teaspoon) but the average person in most countries consumes more than double that amount.⁴ You may think your salt intake is low because you’re careful about how much you sprinkle on your meals. But sodium can be hiding where you least expect it – such as in ready-made meals, sauces and baked goods – so always check food labels.

Reduce sodium intake by:

• eating mostly fresh foods
• choosing low-sodium products
• reducing the amount of sodium/salt you add to cooking
• choosing herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour food
• limiting the use of commercial sauces, dressings and instant products
• limiting the consumption of processed foods
• removing the salt shaker from your table.⁴
   

4. Exercise

Physical activity is a well-established effective tool for improving cardiovascular health, so it’s important you find a type of movement you enjoy and stick with it. Experts recommend you do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as active sports, running, swimming or cycling a week (or do 75 minutes at higher intensity), and aim to be active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.⁵ If you’re at risk of hypertension or already live with high blood pressure it’s important that you take expert advice on making safe exercise plans.⁶

5. The stress link

Stress can certainly cause your blood pressure to spike, but it hasn’t been proven to directly cause heart attacks or strokes.⁷ However, stress is still linked to increased circulatory and cardiovascular diseases, because it can cause sleep loss and influence people to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco and eating junk food.⁸ These behaviours can potentially impact efforts to make lifestyle choices that improve blood pressure and general heart health. So, this why it’s important to address causes of stress in your life, and find activities, ways of thinking and support networks that can you help cope with them.