It’s been called “the deadliest but most neglected and widespread pandemic of our time,” by none other than Tom Frieden, the former director of the CDC. In fact, the data show that more than 10 million people worldwide die from it each year. And if you’re an older adult, you are definitely at risk. High Blood Pressure, or Hypertension, is a largely symptom-less lethal killer, responsible for such afflictions as heart or kidney failure, stroke, heart attacks, and other serious and potentially fatal illnesses. Your age, ethnicity, and lifestyle (alcohol and smoking habits, among others) all put you at risk for high blood pressure. Changing your lifestyle can also play a significant role in lowering your blood pressure to an acceptable range. Diet, physical activity, and other healthy practices can prevent high blood pressure in the first place, or keep it under control once it becomes elevated. There are also effective medications for helping to maintain a reasonably safe blood pressure, and regular self-monitoring is important for those at risk or under medical supervision. This heart health month of February is the perfect time to educate yourself about high blood pressure and how to keep your numbers in check and your vitals under control. So grab your cuff and read here and here.

Even though only a small percentage of global funding goes directly toward fighting high blood pressure, there are innumerable ongoing studies to help guide us into better lifestyle choices and prevention activities. For example, we’ve known for a long time that diet can exacerbate and raise blood pressure or help keep it within acceptable bounds. Not only the food you eat but also the seasoning you use (particularly salt) can greatly affect your blood pressure readings. Consumer Reports recently published a post on some simple diet tips to help you lower your blood pressure and new studies have reported on the value of salt substitutes to bring down and keep blood pressure numbers under control. Efforts have been underway to develop a salt substitute that decreases the amount of sodium, increases the use of potassium, and yet tastes like an acceptable substitute. And a new study out of China, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that such a salt substitute can effectively reduce the incidence of hypertension in a population of people with normal blood pressure without increasing hypotension (lower blood pressure) or causing other side effects. So skip the salt shaker and find out more here.

Another lifestyle choice that may also help to control blood pressure is exercise and physical activity, which has long been prescribed as an effective antidote. Recently, however, a new study has suggested that Tai Chi may be even better than aerobic exercise as a way to control high blood pressure. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, patients with prehypertension (elevated blood pressure not yet high enough to be classified as high blood pressure) saw their blood pressure levels drop by 22% through practicing Tai Chi, in contrast to a similar group who used aerobic exercise to control their blood pressure (which dropped by 16%). Moreover, fewer patients in the Tai Chi group went on to be diagnosed with high blood pressure than in the aerobic group. As a method of slow movement and physical control, Tai Chi is believed to relax the body in a unique way and is already recommended for health concerns such as balance and flexibility. Moreover, it requires little equipment or space, though it does the most good through consistent and ongoing practice. You can read more about this study here and here, and find out how to get started on your own Tai Chi journey here.