Is Your Blood Pressure Under Control?

About 74 million Americans have hypertension and 50 million more are estimated to have prehypertension (mild elevation in blood pressure). High blood pressure is easy to detect and it's almost always treatable, but too few people actually know they even have high blood pressure. That's why it's referred to as the "silent killer" because it typically produces no symptoms of its own. Did you know that HBP left undetected can seriously damage your heart? Even if you have prehypertension 120-139/80-89 the time to act is now. Education and prevention can keep you well...and perhaps even save your life.

The causes of prehypertension and hypertension are essentially the same:

Being overweight or obese

A lack of physical activity

Smoking

Gender does count - men are 30% more apt to have prehypertension

Age is a factor - usually by age 50

Genetics and race also make a difference

HBP often runs in families... African-Americans with prehypertension triple their risk of cardiovascular disease and for Caucasians it is doubled. For most of us; all we have to do is be proactive, move our bodies regularly, care about the way we look and feel and when necessary control our HBP with medication. It's not too complicated. Too many people rely on blood pressure medication though. You need to take a very active role in controlling and improving blood pressure that is skyrocketing and out of control.

Be proactive to avoid or reduce having high blood pressure early on and you will most definitely prosper. With so much at stake, is it that difficult to lose a few pounds? When you need help...there are plenty of trained professionals that will work with you and educate you to earn the desired results.

Other practical steps include: restricting salt intake (be sure to stay away from processed foods and learn how to read food labels), if you smoke...get some help and quit, exercise regularly- you will definitely feel better ( 30 minutes most days), drinking moderately (duh), and many like to follow the DASH diet which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

By all means, whatever you do, be sure to check your blood pressure regularly so you CAN do something about it. Don't be a statistic and let the "silent killer" get you. Take good care of yourself so you can stay around and let your family and friends enjoy you... while you enjoy them! I heard a great comment today... "Enjoy the value of each day."

You Can Lower Risk of Stroke With Hypertension Medications - 4 Facts

If you have more than normal BP and are at a risk of hypertension, you are exposed to a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Latest research in this field indicates that risk of stroke can be greatly reduced by taking pills that are prescribed for lowering BP.

If systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 and diastolic between 80 and 89, you suffer from beginning stages of hypertension. You are said to have high BP if the reading is 140/90 mm Hg or higher.

Stroke occurs when blood supply to one or more areas of the brain stops temporarily. When oxygen supply to the brain stops even for a few seconds, serious complications arise. If blood pressure is high, blood vessels narrow due to build up in arteries.

High blood pressure can also break fatty deposits which in turn block the blood vessels supplying oxygen to the brain. Artery walls in those who suffer from high BP may become thick or weak. This impedes flow of blood to the brain due to rupture of blood vessel. The higher your BP is, the higher your risk of stroke is.

Some of the common symptoms of stroke include weakness and fatigue, trouble understanding conversations, unexplained mood change and confusion, headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. If you suffer from hypertension, it is recommended not to ignore any of these symptoms as stroke is a potentially life threatening emergency.

Here are a few facts on how you can lower risk of stroke with hypertension medications -

   1. Before prescribing medications, dietary changes may be advocated by your doctor to treat hypertension. According to experts, medications are expensive and may not be affordable for many on a regular basis. So, some doctors do not jump into prescribing medications at the first instant.

   2. If the patient has a history of mini-stroke, diabetes or heart disease, these factors may tip the scales in favor of medications. Many doctors feel that there is no need to wait for the condition to worse as treating hypertension with medications at the onset is a sure way of preventing stroke and other related conditions.

   3. At least 16 studies have been conducted recently with more than 70,000 people suffering from hypertension. They were treated with a placebo or BP medications. Results showed that those who were put on medications that lowered BP were 22 percent less likely to have a stroke as compared to those who were advocated only lifestyle changes.

   4. The latest approach is to try to bring BP under control through lifestyle changes for a while before starting on medications for those who do not have any other ailments or habits such as high cholesterol or smoking.