Mar 20, 2018
Barb Green, Parish Nurse
Milton, WI
The old saying goes, “A healthy heart is a happy heart.” One component of a healthy heart is a normal blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries that carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. It normally rises and falls throughout the day but if it stays high for a long period of time it can damage your heart and cause problems such as heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death in the U.S.
About 75 million American adults, or one in three, have hypertension (high blood pressure). Another 1/3 have prehypertension — numbers that are higher than normal — but not yet in the high blood pressure range. Only half of those with high blood pressure have their condition under control. One in five adults is unaware of having high blood pressure.
In 2014, high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of death for more than 410,000 Americans. That’s more than 1100 deaths each day. It costs the nation $48.6 billion annually. This includes the cost of health care, medications, and missed days of work.
Medical risk factors for hypertension include pre-hypertension and diabetes. Unhealthy behaviors which can increase the risk include: smoking tobacco, eating foods high in sodium and low in potassium, not getting enough physical activity, being obese, and drinking too much alcohol. These behaviors combined with the medical conditions listed above significantly increase the risk. Some risks that you can’t change include age (chances increase with age), gender (men before age 55 and women after menopause), family history, and race (African Americans are at increased risk).
There are usually no warning signs of high blood pressure. The only way to know if you have it is to have a health professional measure it. A home monitor will help you keep track between doctor visits. Keep a record so the doctor can assess how you are doing. Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The top number measures systolic pressure or the pressure in your vessels when your heart beats. The second number, diastolic pressure represents the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart rests between beats.
You can also have low blood pressure which is 90/60 or lower. This may make you feel light-headed, weak, dizzy, or even faint. It can be caused by not drinking enough liquids, blood loss, some medical conditions, or too much medication.
Recently new standards have emerged for different levels of pressures. They are as follow:
Normal systolic: less than 120
diastolic: less than 80
At risk
(prehypertension) systolic: 120-139
diastolic: 80-89
High systolic: 140 or higher
diastolic: 90 or higher
If your pressure is higher than 180/120 call your health care provider.
It is discouraging to work to bring your blood pressure under control and then have the standards change. Research is constantly being conducted and these numbers reflect that. These new standards are believed to protect your heart more adequately and give you a healthier life.
You can decrease your risk factors by stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, cutting down on salt, drinking less alcohol, getting a good night’s sleep, managing stress, exercising every day, and maintaining a healthy weight. If these lifestyle changes don’t reduce your blood pressure, the doctor may prescribe medication. Be sure to take it exactly as ordered. Keeping track of your blood pressure periodically with either a home unit or at a clinic is important. It helps you determine how you are doing. You deserve a healthy heart.
—Source CDC.gov