May 17 is World Hypertension Day and the American Heart Association (AHA) is encouraging South Carolina residents to take the first step in improving heart health and tackling this preventable cause of death by checking their blood pressure. Utilize the attached Check It SC blood pressure toolkit to help spread the word around the importance of hypertension management.
High blood pressure affects 1 in 3 American adults. Since there are few or no symptoms, make sure this silent killer doesn’t sneak up on you. Whether you have high blood pressure or not, and especially if you’re not sure, there are easy things you can do to keep healthy levels.
DON’T IGNORE THE “SILENT KILLER”
We’ve all seen the commercials. High blood pressure is so frequently talked about that you almost can’t avoid hearing about it daily. But have you checked your blood pressure lately? With age comes a higher risk of this silent killer creeping up on you, so it’s something you can’t afford to ignore.
WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
By definition, blood pressure is the force of blood in the circulatory system. It’s measured by two numbers: the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic), and the pressure in between beats (diastolic). In seniors, high blood pressure (or hypertension) is considered systolic over 140 and diastolic over 90.
If left untreated, high blood pressure is a primary cause of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness. Race, genetics, poor diet, and physical inactivity are all linked to high blood pressure, but the exact cause is unknown. With few or no symptoms, it’s something to get checked even if you feel normal.
KEEP IT LEVEL
Here are some quick tips for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels as you age:
• Weight: keep it healthy, even dropping just a couple pounds if you’re overweight
• Exercise: get 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, but talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program
• Stress: try meditation or relaxing walks to calm your stress levels
• Diet: reduce salt and sugars, avoid saturated fat, limit alcohol, and eat more fruits and vegetables
4 STEPS TO PROPER TREATMENT
If you develop high blood pressure, treating it is much easier than you may be aware of.
1. Adjust your lifestyle. Make some small changes, like being more active and doing what it takes to keep a healthy weight.
2. Take trusted medications. Some proven prescriptions include diuretics (or “water pills” that reduce excess body water and salts), beta-blockers that reduce heart rate and relax blood vessels, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers.
3. Monitor regularly. Measure and record your blood pressure at home, and share this log with your physician to determine the best treatments.
4. See your personal doc often. We can keep a close eye on your blood pressure, adjust your medications, and watch for side effects. If you do have side effects, we will discuss what to do and recommend other options.
American Heart Association Toolkit
Sources:
The Facts About High Blood Pressure. (2016, October). Retrieved April, 2017, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/GettheFactsAboutHighBloodPressure/The-Facts-About-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002050_Article.jsp#.WOfNe1KZN61
Changes You Can Make to Manage High Blood Pressure. (2016, October). Retrieved April, 2017, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/MakeChangesThatMatter/Changes-You-Can-Make-to-Manage-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002054_Article.jsp#.WOfOeVKZN63