Once while leading a Health Promotion group, I asked my patients to explain what “hypertension” was. I will never forget the veteran who responded, “that’s when you’re too hyper to pay attention!”
Though creative, that answer wasn’t exactly correct. Hypertension is actually the clinical term for high blood pressure. So what is blood pressure? Your blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, the vessels that carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. If your blood pressure is persistently elevated, it can damage your heart, leading to heart disease and stroke.
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The top number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats or contracts. The bottom number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.
Ideally, our blood pressure should be <120/80mmHg. If your blood pressure is 120-139/80-89, then you would be classified as “prehypertensive.” Being prehypertensive means that your blood pressure is above goal, but with diet and exercise, you should be able to get it under control. Anything higher than 140-90 is considered high.
Risk factors. Risk factors for hypertension include diabetes, a high salt diet, physical inactivity, obesity, excessive alcohol intake, tobacco use, increased age, family history of heart disease, and African-American heritage.
Signs/symptoms. Generally we do not feel our blood pressure rising, unless it is really extreme. This is why hypertension is sometimes referred to as “the silent killer.” It’s important to get your blood pressure checked at every doctor’s visit since you likely won’t experience any symptoms if it is elevated.
Prevention. Address those risk factors that you can control. Choose a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables. Limit your sodium intake to <1500mg/day. Look for foods labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added”. Minimize your intake of canned foods, frozen foods, and processed meats as they are all generally high in sodium.
In addition to monitoring your diet, you can maintain a healthy weight by exercising regularly. The US Surgeon General recommends 150 minutes of mild/moderate exercise each week.
If you are a smoker, give serious thought to quitting. Tobacco use raises your blood pressure, and increases your risk of stroke and heart attack.
Alcohol can also raise your blood pressure. Women should have no more than one drink per day (two drinks for men).
If you are prehypertensive, working to target these risk factors should help to keep you from reaching a state of persistent hypertension. If you’ve already been diagnosed, these steps, along with taking your prescribed medication everyday, should still be beneficial in keeping your blood pressure at goal.
