Hormone causing high BP in women identified
Salt retention may be not be the reason behind high blood pressure in women with a high-salt diet. It may be because of hormone aldosterone that can impair the ability of blood vessels to relax
Deesha Bondre | Feb 27, 2019, 16:46 IST
People with high blood pressure are often recommended to keep a check on their salt intake. A study that was published in Hypertension, found that men or women benefit from a low salt diet for regulating blood pressure. There have been studies done previously that mention that women are more salt-sensitive. Intake of salt can contribute to an increase in blood pressure, which is dangerous for the heart and can result in heart disease. People who are salt-sensitive and have high blood pressure are thus advised to have a low-salt diet.
As part of the study, it was found that high blood pressure may be caused because of aldosterone impairing the ability of blood vessels to relax. Aldosterone is a hormone which regulates salt and affects blood pressure. It is naturally higher in females as compared to males and can be higher in case of a high-salt diet. It was thus hypothesised that females have higher levels of adlosterone than males, and they are more likely to be salt-sensitive.
The basics of dealing with blood pressure remain the same - to consume a low-salt diet and avoid foods that have high salt content. Poor lifestyle and diet, lack of physical activity and increased consumption of processed food are some of the major culprits behind high blood pressure.
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