HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
What is it? Why is it dangerous? What can you do?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects an estimated 72 million people in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association. That is nearly one in three adults. Called the “silent killer,” high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack, stroke, and heart or kidney failure. It’s called the silent killer because high blood pressure alone has no symptoms. Many people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have the condition or that they are at risk for these potentially serious events. The only way to know whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

What Is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood pumped by the heart through the arteries to the rest of the body. A blood pressure reading involves two numbers: systolic and diastolic. The systolic number (the top number) represents the blood pressure when the heart is beating and in the act of pumping blood. The diastolic number (the bottom number) represents when the heart is resting in between beats. For someone to have high blood pressure, his or her reading must be higher than 140 (systolic) over 90 (diastolic), or 140/90. People with diabetes are considered to have high blood pressure when their reading is higher than 130/80. When either number is above the recommended level, then a person has high blood pressure.

Why Is High Blood Pressure Dangerous?

A certain amount of pressure is needed to keep blood flowing throughout the entire body. However, when the pressure is too high, it can cause damage to the arteries, making them harder and narrower. In turn, this causes the heart to work harder than normal to get blood to the rest of the body.

Over time, this increased workload causes the heart to enlarge. If this continues indefinitely, the heart continues to get larger and weaker. When that happens, the risk for coronary events such as a heart attack or stroke increases.

What Can You Do?

The first step is to make sure that you get your blood pressure checked regularly. Your blood pressure reading can be affected by many things, including stress, so having it checked regularly is important.

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may provide a variety of suggestions, including modifying your diet and getting more exercise. Diets that are high in saturated fat or sodium can raise blood pressure. Reducing the amount of fat and sodium you consume can help lower your blood pressure. Increasing physical activity levels can also help reduce blood pressure level. Also, if you smoke, you should quit. Smoking increases blood pressure, as does excessive alcohol consumption. In addition to lifestyle changes, your doctor may recommend medications that can help control your blood pressure.

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