What is High Blood Pressure?
If you have high blood pressure, you are not alone. One in three adults, or about 73 million American adults, have high blood pressure. Most people with high blood pressure have no noticeable symptoms. Nearly 22% of people with high blood pressure don't know they have it. That's why this disease is often called the "silent killer."
Blood pressure measures two things. It measures the force of blood pushing against your blood vessels when your heart beats. This is called systolic pressure. It also measures when your heart is at rest between beats. This is called diastolic pressure. The numbers are usually written one before the other. The systolic measure comes first—for example, 120/80 mm Hg.
You have high blood pressure if the first number (systolic pressure) is equal to or greater than 140 mm Hg or the second number (diastolic pressure) is equal to or greater than 90 mm Hg. The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked.
Risks of High Blood Pressure
The goal for your blood pressure should be lower than 140/90 mm Hg. The goal numbers are lower for people with other conditions, such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease. If your blood pressure is 120/80 to 139/89, you have prehypertension, which means you are at high risk for developing high blood pressure.
Over 90% of the causes of high blood pressure are not known. But it is a serious condition because it makes the heart work too hard and also makes the walls of the arteries hard. Blood pressure that is not controlled can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. In fact, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, which is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. If you have high blood pressure and are also overweight or obese, your risk of heart attack or stroke also increases. Also, if you have high blood pressure and you smoke or have high blood cholesterol or diabetes your risk of heart attack or stroke increases.
What You Can Do
Although high blood pressure usually cannot be cured, in most cases it can be delayed and controlled.
The first steps to controlling high blood pressure begin with healthy lifestyle habits and losing weight if you are overweight. Even losing just 10 lbs can help! Other things you can do are increasing your physical activity, like power walking 30 minutes a day, and following a healthy eating plan. This would include eating fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals, chicken, fish and foods with less salt. If you drink alcoholic beverages, you should drink in moderation—no more than two drinks a day for men or one drink a day for women. Be sure to talk to your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.
But if these changes are not enough, you may need to take blood pressure medicine. Talk with your doctor. He or she will help you take the right steps to control your high blood pressure so you can continue to enjoy an active, healthy life!
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