Hypertension and You
Knowing your blood pressure numbers could save your life.
Blood pressure is an indicator of our overall health. It’s important to know what your blood pressure numbers are and what they mean. As we get older, the risk for high blood pressure or hypertension increases. With age, blood vessels become less elastic, making it difficult for blood to flow throughout the body and causing a rise in blood pressure. In Hawaii, an estimated 70 percent of adults have hypertension. Many may not know they have it.
Blood pressure consists of two numbers. The top number, or systolic, measures the pressure as the heart contracts and pushes blood into the arteries. The bottom number, or diastolic, is the pressure when the heart relaxes and lets blood flow into it.
High blood pressure can cause kidney disease and eye problems. It can also cause heart disease and stroke. Dr. Jone Geimer-Flanders, a cardiologist and American Heart Association volunteer, says high blood pressure is responsible for about 30 percent of heart failure. “Hypertension is a silent killer because it doesn’t hurt, it kills,” she says.
It’s very unusual for people to have any symptoms until their high blood pressure becomes severe. Some of us are at greater risk of the disease, so paying attention to the risk factors is particularly important as we pass middle age.
Risk Factors:
Gender. Before age 55, men have a greater risk of having high blood
pressure. Women are more likely to have
high blood pressure after menopause.
Race. Every race has an incidence of high blood pressure but African-Americans and Filipinos are at increased risk of developing the disease.
Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in some families.
Controlling High Blood Pressure:
Keep a healthy weight. Being overweight adds to your risk of high
blood pressure.
Eat a healthy diet. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products may help lower high blood pressure.
Reduce your sodium intake. Ask your doctor how a low-salt diet might help lower blood pressure.
Drink less alcohol. Drinking alcohol can affect your blood pressure.
Don’t smoke. Smoking increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Manage stress. Talk to your doctor about how you can manage stress.
If lifestyle changes don’t control your high blood pressure, doctors often prescribe medication to help control the disease. It’s important to continue taking high blood pressure medication even if you begin to feel well.
