Prevention: High Blood Pressure

Blood_PressureYou can take steps to prevent high blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle. These steps include maintaining a healthy weight; being physically active; following a healthy eating plan, that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods; choosing and preparing foods with less salt and sodium; and, if you drink alcoholic beverages, drinking in moderation. Here is a list of more healthy lifestyle habits for preventing and controlling high blood pressure.

  • Following a Healthy Eating Pattern
  • Reducing Salt and Sodium in Your Diet
  • Maintaining a Healthy Weight
  • Being Physically Active
  • Limiting Alcohol Intake
  • Quitting Smoking

via Prevention: Guide to Lower High Blood Pressure.

Tips to Control High Blood Pressure

tsc-high-blood-pressure-mdnHigh Blood Pressure Risk Factors

It is important to keep your blood pressure under 140/90 mm Hg. Blood pressure higher than that is considered dangerous. Below is a list of high blood pressure risk factors. People with any of these risk factors should have their blood pressure checked every time they visit their doctor. For those who fall into several risk categories, experts recommend purchasing a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope and taking your own pressure reading every week.

  • Cigarette smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke on a daily basis
  • Diabetes (a fasting glucose higher than 125 mg/dL)
  • Kidney disease
  • Family history of hypertension
  • Being obese or overweight
  • Leading a physically inactive, sedentary lifestyle
  • Men over the age of 45
  • Women over the age of 55
  • Taking oral contraceptives
  • Elevated cholesterol levels
  • Frequently consuming alcoholic beverages
  • Being African American

via Tips to Control High Blood Pressure.

Knowing Your Numbers Could Save Your Life

Know_NumbersIf the oil light comes on in your car do you ignore it or do you bring it to a mechanic to tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it? It’s the same way with your health except you can replace the car but not your health. That’s why it’s so critical to know and monitor your target numbers.

Below are the healthy ranges to work toward. You’ll often see these written out with clinical terms like mg/dL and mm Hg. Your medical provider can explain those terms. For you, the important thing is the numbers themselves:

  • Blood Pressure – less than 120/80
  • Cholesterol Total – below 200
  • LDL – below 130
  • HDL – above 50 for women – above 40 for men
  • Triglycerides – below 150
  • Glucose (fasting) – between 70 and 99
  • BMI – between 18.5 and 24.9

It’s important to monitor your numbers regularly by getting an annual physical, blood work and reviewing them with your doctor. It’s to late after you are sick because much of the damage to your body will not be repairable.

via Know Your Numbers.

Getting Blood Pressure Under Control

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, both of which are leading causes of death in the US. Nearly one-third of all American adults have high blood pressure and more than half of them don’t have it under control. Many with uncontrolled high blood pressure don’t know they have it. Millions are taking blood pressure medicines, but their blood pressure is still not under control. There are many missed opportunities for people with high blood pressure to gain control. Doctors, nurses and others in health care systems should identify and treat high blood pressure at every visit. Blood pressure control means having a systolic blood pressure less than 140 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg, among people with high blood pressure.

via CDC Vital Signs – Getting Blood Pressure Under Control.