Experts warn about hypertension: routine checks should not be interrupted

At the conference organized with the participation of the Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality and the Sakarya Provincial Health Directorate, hypertension, one of the major problems of our time, was discussed. While participation in the conference titled “Hypertension Disease and Dietary Recommendations” held at SGM was high, officials from the Metropolitan Municipality and officials from the Sakarya Provincial Health Directorate also participated in the program. Associate Professor of Cardiology. Dr. İbrahim Kocayiğit and dietitian Tamer Ezen attended the program as speakers and information was given on many topics, especially the causes of hypertension, proper nutrition, drug use and personal precautions.

In the conference specially organized for the elderly, various practical information was shared in addition to theoretical information. In the program where accurate blood pressure measurement was demonstrated, participants were given an elderly health manual and a colon cancer kit to use at home. It has been announced that if an application is submitted to the general practitioners, it will be possible to talk to the dietitians who work in the district health department.

“Hypertension has become one of the most important problems of our time”

Emphasizing the causes of hypertension in his speech, Assoc. Dr. İbrahim Kocayiğit said: “The issue of hypertension has unfortunately become one of the most important problems of our time. Of course, many factors play a role in hypertension. Of these, excessive salt consumption, smoking, alcohol, obesity, family history, age, stress and a life without physical activity form the risk group for hypertension. We have to be very careful with these elements, especially from the middle age level. If we have habits such as cigarettes and alcohol, we should stop them immediately, leave life without physical activity behind us and start regular exercises that are appropriate for our age and physique. Another problem is family history; If there is a member of our family with hypertension, we should pay attention to our quality of life and have our checkups done at certain intervals.

“We consume 3-4 times more salt than we need”

Dietician Tamer Ezen drew attention to the importance of nutrition and said: “We consume 3 to 4 times more salt than we need in our daily lives. We should avoid products such as bread, ready meals, preserves, delicatessen, cheese, olives, all products with sodium on the label, sauces, pickled foods and pickles. Instead, we should consume foods high in potassium. If we consume flavorings such as parsley, mint, thyme, dill, lemon juice, onion and garlic, we will not feel the lack of salt. In addition, we recommend consuming one serving of garlic yogurt per day to help control blood pressure.