The overwhelming smells and volatile organic compounds of industrial hog farms may not just be unpleasant to those living nearby, they could also raise a person’s risk for high blood pressure, a condition that can cause heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. A new study suggests that the dust, allergens and ammonia that spew from these operations can cause a significant rise in the systolic blood pressure of people living near pig farms, according to ScienceNOW.
Salt is a key contributor to high blood pressure, and many of us overdo it without realizing it. While fresh lean pork provides healthy iron, vitamins and minerals, processed pork products like bacon and ham can have eight times as much sodium as white pork tenderloin, which contains less than 80 milligrams per serving. According to the British charity Blood Pressure UK, it’s best to avoid processed meats, especially those seasoned with salt, like pigs in blankets and cheese boards.
When eaten in excess, these foods can lead to a dangerously high systolic blood pressure reading, and it’s hard to cut back on salt in the long run when it’s already in your diet. The good news is that eating more eggs can help to lower your salt intake because they’re packed with potassium, which helps to keep blood pressure in check.
Another easy way to keep your blood pressure low is to vary your protein sources. Research supports that those who eat more than one type of protein source have a lower chance of developing high blood pressure compared to those who consume the least amount. Try adding more poultry, fish and lean pork to your diet.
When it comes to noninvasive oscillometric blood pressure measurement, the accuracy of a device depends on where the cuff is placed and on its size. In this study, a Waveline Pro monitor was used to measure the systolic blood pressure in 17 anesthetized pigs. It’s important to note that the cuff was placed in different locations, including the thoracic and pelvic limb, and the sex of the pigs was not controlled for. This makes it impossible to know whether the results would apply to other devices or if they’re different in very large or small pigs. It’s also important to remember that this test was done under laboratory conditions. In real life, the accuracy of a systolic blood pressure monitoring system can be affected by things such as age, gender, stress and sedation. Nevertheless, the study’s authors say their results suggest that the accuracy of oscillometric blood pressure measurements with the Waveline Pro, when using a thoracic cuff, is comparable to the accuracy of invasive arterial blood pressure measurement under anesthesia, if performed at the same site.