Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels. It is measured with two numbers. When your heart beats, the force against your vessel walls is the systolic, or top, number. The diastolic number, or lower number, is the measurement of the force of blood against the walls when your heart is at rest between beats.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the force of blood against the walls is too high. Talk with your doctor about your personal goal numbers.
Hypertension is sometimes called ‘the silent killer’ because most of the time there are no obvious symptoms. Untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, blindness, and kidney disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) classifies risk factors as non-modifiable and modifiable. Non-modifiable factors are related to who you are. These include:
- Family History
- Age (blood vessels are less elastic as we age)
- Ethnicity and race (Asian, Hispanic, and Black individuals have a higher rate overall)
- Gender (males have a higher rate until age 64, and females have a higher rate after age 65)
Controlling modifiable Risk Factors can help you lower your blood pressure if it is too high. Talk with your doctor about your modifiable risk factors, which may include:
- Lack of exercise
- An unhealthy diet too high in calories, salt, sugar, and saturated or trans fats
- Being overweight or obese
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Untreated sleep apnea
- High cholesterol
- High blood sugar from diabetes that isn’t controlled
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Stress
Managing high blood pressure, according to the AHA, includes making changes that matter. Work with your doctor to establish your goals and modify your personal risk factors. If you have been prescribed medication, take it properly. Have your blood pressure measured in your doctor’s office and consider monitoring it at home to share with your doctor.
Be heart healthy and fight back against the silent killer!
For more information, go to https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure