Case study ( 7446 views as of December 4, 2024 )
Greg is 65 years old and was recently diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). He is shocked by this diagnosis. Greg has always been at a healthy body weight and feels he eats an overall healthy diet. He does not smoke and has no other health conditions. His mother died at the age of 50 from a heart attack, but otherwise he has no family history of high blood pressure or any other heart conditions.
Today Greg is in to see the registered dietitian to learn more about healthy eating to manage his blood pressure. His doctor wanted to start him on antihypertensive medication but Greg was resistant and wanted time to see if he could manage his blood pressure through lifestyle changes. Greg tells the dietitian that he eats healthy and exercises weekly. After some further probing about his diet, Greg admits he is a “meat and potatoes” guy and doesn’t love eating vegetables but that his food is always homemade. He is a truck driver but packs his own lunch to avoid buying fast food while on the road. His weekly exercise consists of 45 minutes of swimming on Saturday mornings.
Greg is ready to make lifestyle changes to improve his blood pressure. The dietitian educates Greg on the DASH diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet encourages whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruit, nuts/seeds and legumes, lean meats and fish. Increasing his level of physical activity will also help lower his blood pressure, and Greg could consult with a personal trainer for help on building up his activity level.
Author: Ashley Grachnik
Conversation based on: Managing High Blood Pressure Through Diet and Exercise
Managing High Blood Pressure Through Diet and Exercise