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High blood pressure: The green fruit that raises hypertension - ‘contains a lot of salt'

Heart and cardiovascular disease is one of the UK's biggest killers. On average someone dies from a form of heart disease every three minutes. Experts consider the umbrella of diseases the biggest killer in terms of years of life lost. The reason for this is due to average age of heart attack victims compared to the average age of dementia patients.

Although heart disease is one of the most serious risk factors for heart disease it is, fortunately, one of the most manageable.

The most effective way to manage hypertension is through lifestyle changes including quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, exercising regularly, and consuming a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables.

However, while most vegetables have a positive impact on cardiovascular health, some of them do not.

Although common accompaniments to dinner, olives are a form of vegetable not recommended for those trying to manage their blood pressure.

he reason for this, the charity Blood Pressure UK states, is because olives "contain a lot of salt"; the higher salt intake the higher blood pressure rises.

Blood Pressure UK explain: "Salt makes your body hold onto water. If you eat too much, the extra water in your blood means there is extra pressure on your blood vessel walls, raising your blood pressure.

"If you already have high blood pressure, too much salt will raise it further, and may mean that any blood pressure medicines don't work as well as they should."

Blood pressure medications often taken by patients include ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and diuretics.

In common with almost all other conditions, heart disease has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent data shows the number of people admitted to hospital with a heart attack during the pandemic fell by more than a third.

Furthermore, the number of people seeking help for major heart attacks fell by 17 percent while admissions for heart failure fell by 28 percent.

However, this fall in admissions does not mean there were few heart attacks.

However, this fall in admissions does not mean there were few heart attacks.

 Getty Images Heart attack admissions fell during the lockdowns.

In fact, the reason is rather different.Dr Ramesh Nadarajah of the University of Leeds explains: "We know that the decline in admissions was not due to a reduction in the amount of heart disease.

"In fact, during the first way almost half of deaths from heart disease occurred out of the hospital setting, with the greatest excess deaths related to heart disease in people's homes."

The reasons for the decline are down to people receiving treatment at home or not coming forward when they experienced symptoms.

Daily Express Symptoms of a heart attack.

Dr Nadarajah added: "The collateral damage of missed diagnoses and treatments will continue to accrue unless mitigation strategies are implemented."

As a result of the pandemic thousands of patients will be diagnosed at later stages of heart disease when treatment is harder to administer.

Furthermore, the result of patients presenting later is beginning to place a greater burden on an NHS already stressed by over a decade of pressure.

Consultant cardiologist Professor Christopher Gale said: "Urgent action is needed to address the burden of cardiovascular disease left in the wake of the pandemic."

Reference:  Daily Express: Christopher Sharp