What is high blood pressure and how is it measured?
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. Each time the heart beats, it is pumping blood into these arteries – resulting in the highest blood pressure when the heart contracts and is pumping the blood. High blood pressure, or hypertension, directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (heart attack) and stroke (brain attack). Hypertension, is defined in an adult as a blood pressure:
- Greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg systolic pressure (pressure is at its greatest when the heart contracts and is pumping the blood – called systolic pressure).
- Greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure (when the heart is at rest, in-between beats, your blood pressure falls – called diastolic pressure).
What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can occur in anyone, but is particularly prevalent in:
- Persons with diabetes mellitus, gout, or kidney disease
- African-Americans (particularly those who live in the southeast United States)
- Persons in their early to middle adult years. In this age group, men have high blood pressure more often than women.
- Persons in their middle to later adult years. In this age group, women have high blood pressure more often than men (more women have high blood pressure after menopause than men of the same age).
- Middle-aged and elderly people – more than half of all Americans age 65 and older have high blood pressure.
- Persons whose parents or grandparents have/had high blood pressure
- Obese people
- Heavy drinkers of alcohol
- Women who are taking oral contraceptives
How does blood pressure increase?
- Being overweight is likely to be associated with high-normal or mild-high blood pressure.
- Excessive sodium intake increases blood pressure in some people.
- A lack of exercise and physical activity is likely to be associated with high-normal or mild-high blood pressure.
How is high blood pressure controlled?
Many people can control high blood pressure by:
- Choosing foods that are sodium (salt)
- Choosing foods low in calories and fat
- Choosing foods high in starch and fiber
- Maintaining a healthy weight, or losing weight if you are overweight
- Limiting serving sizes
- Increasing physical activity
- Practicing moderation if consuming alcoholic beverages
However, other people must take daily medication to control hypertension. People with hypertension should routinely have their blood pressure checked and be under the care of a physician.
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