• Location:臺灣
• Date: 2023/09/19
• Update Date:2023/09/19
• Clicks:33

The Mid-Autumn Festival is set to arrive in a few weeks. As you enjoy gatherings with family and friends to enjoy delicious food, don’t forget to take care of your health! Remind yourself and your loved ones to monitor your blood pressure values, and have a healthy and happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

High blood pressure is not easy to detect in its early stages. According to the 2022 Cause of Death Statistics published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), diseases related to hypertension (high blood pressure) rank seventh among the top ten causes of death in Taiwan. High blood pressure can affect the cardiovascular system, brain blood vessels, kidneys, and other organs, leading to serious conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and kidney diseases. Chao-Chun Wu, M.D. , Director-General of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) of the MOHW, encourages the public to use the “722 Protocol” to measure their blood pressure accurately, record the values, and monitor their blood pressure data continuously to prevent diseases and safeguard their health.

Safeguarding Cardiovascular Health: The “722 Protocol” for Blood Pressure Measurements

According to the 2017-2020 National Nutrition and Health Survey conducted by the HPA, the prevalence of high blood pressure among adults aged 20 and above is 27.3%, but the awareness rate is only 67.9%. This means that about 30% of people suffering from hypertension don’t even know they have it. However, controlling and understanding your blood pressure is not difficult. To raise the awareness of blood pressure issues among the public, the Taiwan Society of Cardiology and the Taiwan Hypertension Society issued guidelines for hypertension management, recommending that people follow the “722 Protocol” at least once a year to measure their blood pressure: measure it continuously for “7” days, twice a day, in the morning after waking up and in the evening before going to bed, with an average taken from “2” measurements each time. Before measuring your blood pressure, avoid smoking, eating, taking a shower, exercising, consuming alcohol, coffee, or tea, and don’t hold your urine. Sit quietly and rest for five minutes before starting the measurement. Avoid talking or moving during the measurement to obtain accurate blood pressure readings.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle: Three Key Factors for Stable Blood Pressure – Diet, Exercise, and Quitting Smoking

To stay away from high blood pressure and reduce the risk of related chronic diseases, Director-General Wu of the HPA reminds people to regularly monitor their blood pressure and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In daily life, you can help control your blood pressure by focusing on these three key factors:

Balanced Diet: Follow the “Three Less, Three More” principle in your diet (less oil, less salt, less sugar, and more vegetables, fiber, and water). Limit alcohol consumption.

Regular Exercise: Accumulate at least 150 minutes of exercise each week to promote blood circulation and develop a regular exercise routine. If you are overweight or obese, exercise can also help with weight loss and fitness.

Quit Smoking: Smoking can lead to an increase in blood pressure and cause cardiovascular-related diseases, affecting physiological functions. Therefore, it is recommended to quit smoking. If you have a smoking cessation need, you can also go through individual smoking cessation programs, smoking cessation clinics, or smoking cessation hotlines to create a personal smoking cessation plan to maintain stable blood pressure.