Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 113) common conditions HYPERTENSION Getting a grip on hypertension High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because many people don’t even know they have it. The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to keep your blood pressure in check. By Kelly L. Gilmore Y our arteries are the pipes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. When your heart beats, it pushes blood through the arteries. In a person who has healthy arteries, the blood is able to flow through the arteries with little resistance. But in a person whose arteries have become narrow, the arteries resist the blood flowing through them. The heart has to work harder to get the blood where it needs to go, and that’s when high blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs. Hypertension puts a strain on your heart and causes damage to your blood vessels. This raises your risk for stroke, heart attack, heart disease and kidney failure. High blood pressure is sometimes called the “silent killer” because you can have it without even knowing that you do. This is because most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. Understanding the numbers Blood pressure is made up of 2 measurements. The first number is called systolic, and refers to the peak blood pressure when your heart is sending blood out into the arteries. The second number is called diastolic, which is the pressure when your heart is relaxing between beats. Your blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). When you have your blood pressure checked, the systolic pressure is read first, and the diastolic pressure is read second. For example, if your blood pressure reading is 120/80 (“120 over 80”), you have a systolic pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80. Blood pressure in a healthy adult is 120/80 or lower. Hypertension is a reading 140/90 or higher. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, you have something called prehypertension. This means you’re on your way to having high blood pressure. Am I at risk? Several factors increase your risk of hypertension. Some you can control, and some you can’t. The factors you can’t control are: ● Race. African Americans develop hypertension more often and The risk of hypertension increases as you get older. ● Age. Risk of hypertension increases as you get older. ● Family history. If you have close family members who have at an earlier age. Also, hypertension in African Americans tends to be more severe. hypertension, you’re at higher risk. familydoctor 2007 113
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.