Is your neighbourhood BP-friendly?

Washington D.C.: You may want to move to a walking neighborhood as a recent study has revealed that it is good for your blood pressure.

People who moved from a neighborhood that required a vehicle to run errands to one that made walking-errands convenient were significantly less likely to have high blood pressure than people who moved from one low-walkability neighborhood to another low-walkability neighborhood, according to the research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

This is the first study to determine whether moving to a walking-friendly neighborhood affected blood pressure. Researchers found that people who moved to a walking-friendly neighborhood had a 54 percent lower risk of high blood pressure than people who left one walking-unfriendly neighborhood for another.

For most healthy adults, the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (or a combination of both) each week as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle called My Life CheckTM- Life's Simple 7.

Researchers need to set people up for success by making walking instead of driving the more convenient and enjoyable choice, said lead author Maria Chiu, adding that urban planners and policymakers can do their part by designing neighborhoods that are more pedestrian-friendly.

Researchers noted that they did not have detailed dietary data other than fruit and vegetable consumption, which could affect blood pressure.