Hypertension

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the number one risk factor for death globally - yet it is highly preventable and treatable.

In Australia, 1 in every 3 adults has hypertension, and the vast majority remains with uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Increased blood pressure drives most cases of heart disease and stroke, some of the most common causes of death.

Our team is passionate about helping people improve their blood pressure.

Here are some of the actions you can take

Eat more fibre

Dietary fibre can be an ally in lowering blood pressure. A large study found that every extra 5g/day reduces systolic blood pressure by 2.8 mmHg, for example. Read our recommendations about fibre intake in hypertension and learn how it acts to lower blood pressure via our gut microbes.

See more ideas of how to increase fibre intake below.

Eat less salt/sodium

Excessive sodium intake is an important risk factor for high blood pressure. The National Heart Foundation recommends <2,000mg/day but most people eat way more than that, as sodium is hidden in many ready-to-go foods. A way to reduce sodium intake is to use potassium-enriched substitutes, and eat more fresh food, which you can control how much sodium is added.

Measure your blood pressure

Most people with hypertension don't even know their blood pressure is high! The first thing you can do is to measure it at the GP, pharmacy, or even at home. A GP can also organise your blood pressure to be monitored over 24-hours, which is more accurate than a once-off measurement. If measuring blood pressure at home, make sure you are following guidelines and check that you are using a validated monitor.

Take your medication

Your medical team may prescribe you to take medication to lower blood pressure. It is important you don't stop taking it unless you have discussed it with your medical team, they may be able to change the medication for you.

Lifestyle changes (such as eating less sodium/more fibre, exercising) are still recommended even if you are taking medication.

Dietary fibre: critical for both our blood pressure and gut microbiome

We still don't understand everything about their relationship but there is a growing body of evidence showing the gut microbiome has a critical role regulating our blood pressure. While fibre has a positive effect in helping us grow bacteria that produce substances to lower blood pressure, excess sodium intake can have the opposite effect.

If you are interested in participating in research to help us understand this better, please register your interest here.

These are recommendations only, please discuss it with your medical team if you have concerns about how to manage your blood pressure.

Slide Title

This is a Paragraph. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start editing the content.

Marques Laboratory

School of Biological Sciences

The Hypertension Research Laboratory