High Blood Pressure
Every one has blood pressure. It is the force or pressure against the walls of your arteries caused by your heart as it pumps blood throughout your body. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure (also called hypertension) is to have it checked by a medically trained person. Your blood pressure reading is reported as two numbers, such as 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). The top or larger number (systolic pressure) measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats (pumps). The bottom or smaller number (diastolic pressure) measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart is relaxed or at rest between beats.
Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. A blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called “pre-hypertension” or “pre-high blood pressure”. If your blood pressure is usually 140/90 or higher then you have high blood pressure or hypertension. Untreated high blood pressure can greatly increase your risk of having a stroke, a heart attack and/or cause kidney damage. If you have high blood pressure, there are many ways you and your health care provider can control it, but you must be willing to be an active participant in controlling your high blood pressure. Act today and don’t wait.
Basic Risk Factors for Stroke, Heart Attack and Kidney Failure (also known as Cardiovascular Disease):
Risk factors you should be aware of, but you cannot change:
There are several risk factors you are born with that you cannot change, but you should be aware of them because they increase your risk for developing cardiovascular disease. They are: your increasing age (your risks increase with your age), your gender (being a male places you at higher risk), your race (African Americans have the highest risk), your family medical history (you are at a higher risk if your parents and/or brothers and sisters have had strokes or heart attacks) and your own personal medical history (you are at higher risk if you have already had a stroke, a heart attack, diabetes and/or kidney problems).
Risk factors you can change (lifestyle choices):
High blood pressure – you can work with your health care provider to control or lower it.
Tobacco use – you can get help and quit using any form of tobacco.
Poor eating habits and nutrition – you can get help and change the way you eat to reduce salt (sodium) and fats (animal foods) and learn to eat healthier foods (fruits and vegetables), all of which will help you to lower your cholesterol, lose weight and feel better.
Lack of physical activity – you can start a walking program with your health care provider’s encouragement. You can ask other family members and friends to join you in walking and other physical activities.
Obesity – exercising on a regular basis and eating healthier foods is an excellent start to losing weight. There are many community programs to help you get started. Click here to read more about the Dash Diet, which we recommend as an excellent program for developing healthier eating habits.
Diabetes – if you have diabetes you can work closely with your health provider to learn how to control it. Controlling your diabetes on a daily basis will reduce your risk for a stroke or heart attack.
