If you don't smoke, minimize exposure to secondhand smoke. If you smoke, speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about quitting. If you are overweight, losing even 5% to 10% of your weight can help to reduce your blood pressure as well as decrease your chances of having a stroke or heart attack. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.Speak to your healthcare provider before starting a physical activity program. Be physically active for at least 150 minutes per week doing moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.
Get tips on healthy eating and learn more about the DASH eating plan, which can help lower your high blood pressure and the Mediterranean diet. Eat a healthy, balanced diet that is lower in salt and saturated fat.Eat foods high in potassium such as fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans and lentils - unless you are taking a medication that interacts with potassium.If you have high blood pressure, the recommendation is to eat less than 2000 mg of sodium per day. Heart & Stroke recommends that Canadians eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium (about 1 tsp / 5 mL of salt) a day total from processed foods and salt added during food preparation and at the table. Also try to limit your use of salt in cooking and at the table. This includes fast foods, prepared meals, processed meats (such as hot dogs and lunch meats), canned and dried soups, bottled dressing, packaged sauces, condiments and salty snacks. High sources of sodium are found in highly processed foods. Follow these links to more information about medications for hypertension and heart disease or hypertension and stroke. If your doctor has prescribed medication for hypertension, take it as directed.Have your blood pressure checked regularly as recommended by your healthcare provider.Throughout a woman’s life, factors like pregnancy, birth control and menopause can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Other factors, such as diet, exercise and smoking can be addressed through lifestyle changes to reduce your risk for high blood pressure.Īfter 65, women are more likely than men to get high blood pressure. You can't control some risk factors, such as age, ethnicity and gender. High blood pressure can be caused by many factors. If you find that your heart rate is abnormal, speak to your doctor immediately for further treatment methods.What can I do to control my blood pressure? Consider purchasing a wearable heart monitor to measure your heart rate and keep it in check. The Heart of the MatterĪccording to researchers from Harvard Medical School, one in four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease. As always, speak to your doctor if you have any concerns.
You can combat tachycardia through medications for underlying diseases, surgery, or through the implantation of a cardioverter or a pacemaker. Drinking too many caffeinated or alcoholic beverages.The exact cause of tachycardia cannot always be determined but here are a few factors: If left untreated, this can lead to dangerous complications, including heart attack, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, and death. It’s normal to have a faster heart rate when performing physically demanding activities but if your heart rate is higher than 100 beats per minute while at rest, you may have tachycardia. Consult your doctor about the best steps to take.ĭownload Our Heart Health Guide Causes of Fast Heart Rate in Elderly You can treat bradycardia by exercising, keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control, limiting smoking and drinking, managing stress, and using other treatments to care for heart disease. Chemical imbalances (such as calcium, electrolytes, and potassium).You should have a thorough medical evaluation to determine the cause of your low heart rate but here is a brief look at what causes low heart rate in elderly. This includes fainting, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pains, and memory problems. Causes of Low Heart Rate in ElderlyĪ low heart rate, or bradycardia, can cause severe health problems. If a senior’s heart rate is too low or too high, it can be dangerous and we will go over why in the next two sections. According to the American Heart Association, the estimated target heart rate numbers for adults ages 45-70 are:
To determine the target elderly heart rate, you will want to take the maximum heart rate for seniors (220 and subtract your age) and take 50-85% of that. However, the resting heart rate for seniors can differ from their heart rate with regular exercise. A normal heart rate for seniors is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.