OVERNUTRITION HYPERTENSION Hypertension high blood pressure is thought
OVERNUTRITION
HYPERTENSION Hypertension (high blood pressure) is thought to contribute to nearly all Australian deaths caused by diseases of the heart and circulatory system. Too much sodium in the diet is a major contributing factor. Recall how sodium and potassium work together to keep the balance of fluid inside and outside cells. When there is too much sodium, the body retains water and the heart has to work harder to pump the blood under increased pressure. This means that blood circulation is less efficient, and the arteries become less elastic. Some problems that can result include: heart failure reduced blood flow to the brain, causing a stroke kidney disease aneurysm, a weakness in the blood vessel walls, which can burst, causing massive internal bleeding.
HYPERTENSION Blood pressure is measured using two different numbers. The pressure when the heart pumps the blood is called the systolic pressure and is about 120 mm Hg in healthy young adults. The pressure when the heart is at rest, in between pumps, is called the diastolic pressure and is about 80 mm Hg in young adults. So a normal blood pressure would be expressed as ‘ 120 over 80’. Someone has high blood pressure if their systolic pressure is above 140 mm Hg or their diastolic pressure is above 90 mm Hg.
DENTAL CARIES The tooth is a living part of the body with its own blood supply and nerves running through a mass of dentine, which is covered with a hard coating of enamel.
DENTAL CARIES Dental caries are commonly called tooth decay. They occur when the enamel softens and then breaks down, allowing the dentine to decay. When a nerve is exposed, toothache occurs. Dental caries occur when carbohydrate is available to the bacteria that occur naturally in the mouth. The bacteria ferment the carbohydrate, producing acids, which dissolve the tooth enamel.
ACTIVITY Jacqueline is a 50 -year-old woman who has a stressful management position in an advertising firm. The job requires her to work long hours and she often skips meals or eats takeaway food. Just recently, she was identified as having hypertension. Suggest five different ideas for her evening meal that would be quick and simple to prepare, and low in sodium.
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