"High blood pressure isn't something to be taken lightly

Lee Yuan-te said high blood pressure and related diseases make up half of the top 10 killers in Taiwan, and according to WHO statistics, one in every three deaths worldwide is related to strokes or heart disease.

Lee Chi-ming (李啟明), a doctor from the Department of Internal Medicine at National Taiwan University Hospital, said two of the most important symptoms associated with high blood pressure were being overweight and excessive salt intake, with the former being related to high blood pressure during middle age, and the latter being related to high blood pressure in older people.

Consequently, good nutrition and exercise are seen as
crucial factors in the prevention and control of high blood pressure. A dietitian from Taiwan Adventist Hospital, Lin Tze-you (林子又) advised people to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, nuts and whole meal foods, but to avoid processed foods, strongly flavored foods, and fried or oily foods.