How Our Weight Loss Program Also Remedies High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

Our team at Central Clinic, led by family medicine specialist Dr. Poonam Malhotra, is committed to providing the highest quality medical care to people in and around our Spring Hill, Florida, community.

Our comprehensive services include chronic disease management and a strong focus on preventive medicine. Learn how our medically supervised weight management program covers both goals.

The effects of high blood pressure on health

Blood pressure measures the force with which blood flows through your arteries. It also indicates how hard your heart must work to supply the oxygenated blood your brain and other organs need to survive.

Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) can cause microtears in the tissue lining artery walls. This damage reduces the blood vessel’s flexibility and strength. As artery walls stiffen and weaken, they narrow, and blood flow decreases. 

Restricted blood flow causes your heart to work even harder, raises your blood pressure further, and increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease.

High cholesterol and hypertension

Cholesterol is a waxy, somewhat sticky substance manufactured naturally in the liver to assist with various metabolic processes, including cell growth and hormone production. Your liver creates all the cholesterol you need.

However, you also obtain cholesterol from food, mainly animal products such as meat and dairy. This causes cholesterol to build up and clump into plaques in your bloodstream. 

When these plaques stick to artery walls, they often accumulate and grow larger, eventually acting like a dam restricting blood flow through the vessel.

Artery damage related to hypertension makes it easier for cholesterol deposits to adhere to vessel walls, facilitating plaque buildup. Elevated cholesterol is a leading cause of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. 

Combine high cholesterol with hypertension, and your health risks increase significantly.

How does weight gain increase blood pressure and cholesterol?

Weight gain, even as little as 5-10 pounds, can increase your blood pressure since your heart must work harder to pump blood throughout your body. Excess weight in the abdominal area is especially problematic since it dramatically affects your blood pressure.

High-fat, high-calorie diets that include lots of meat, dairy, heavily processed bread, and sweets are leading causes of weight gain and elevated cholesterol. Deli meats, cheese, chips, and other processed foods often contain high levels of salt, which also can increase your blood pressure.

Weight loss as a remedy for high blood pressure and cholesterol

Our medically supervised weight loss programs at Central Clinic are customized to deliver quick results with a focus on healthy nutrition and developing habits that help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Dr. Malhotra develops a personalized meal plan and exercise regimen based on your lifestyle and food preferences. She might also prescribe medications, dietary supplements, or hormone replacement therapy based on your health history and lab results.

These efforts can help maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease, protect your joints, and improve your overall health and quality of life as you lose weight.

Schedule a visit at Central Clinic today for all your health care needs, including medically supervised weight management. Call the office or request an appointment online.