High Blood Pressure/Hypertension

Did you know that almost everyone gets high blood pressure sometime in their life?  As I was researching this subject, I found that interesting tidbit on Mayo Clinic’s site.  I had no idea virtually everyone will get hypertension at some point in their lives. 

So just what is blood pressure?  What is high blood pressure or hypertension (the medical term for it)?   Blood pressure is the measure of the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to the blood flow in your arteries.  The more blood your heart pumps and the more narrow your arteries, the higher your blood pressure. 

You may ask why high blood pressure is a bad thing.  You can have high blood pressure for many years and not know it.  It is a symptom-less condition - - until blood pressure gets extremely high and becomes life threatening with symptoms of headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds.  The danger with high blood pressure is the damage and the risks of serious conditions it causes.  It is known as the “silent killer.”  Untreated, it can cause damage to blood vessels, your heart, and even your kidneys.  It can cause heart disease and heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. 

There are two types of high blood pressure.  First is primary or essential hypertension.   For most people, there is no identifiable cause of high blood pressure.  This type develops gradually over many years.  The second type is known as secondary hypertension.  This is hypertension caused by an underlying condition such as obstructive sleep apnea, kidney problems, adrenal gland tumors, thyroid problems, medications such as birth control pills, cold remedies, over-the-counter medications, pain killers, some prescription drugs, illegal drugs, or congenital defects.  This type tends to appear suddenly and causes higher levels of blood pressure. 

High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:

Age:   The risk increases as you age.  It is more common in men, until about age 64.  After age 65, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure. 

Race:  High blood pressure is more common among people of African heritage, and develops at an earlier age than it does in other races.  Unfortunately, serious complications of strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure are more common in people of African heritage. 

Family history:  High blood pressure tends to run in families.

Being overweight or obese:   The more you weigh, the more blood is needed to supply oxygen and nutrient to your body.  As the volume of blood increases in your blood vessels, so does the pressure on your artery walls.

Lack of exercise:  People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates.  The higher the rate, the harder your heart has to work and the more force there is on your arteries. 
 
Using tobacco:  Tobacco raises your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals can damage the lining of your artery walls, causing your arteries to narrow.  This increases your risk of heart disease.  Note:   Secondhand smoke also can increase heart disease risk.

Too much salt in your diet:  Too much salt in your diet can cause you to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.  Lighten up on the salt!

Drinking  too much alcohol:  Long-term heavy drinking can damage your heart.  If you drink, do so in moderation, no more than two drinks per day for a man and one drink per day for a woman.

Stress:  High levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure. 

Certain chronic conditions:  Kidney disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea may increase your risk of high blood pressure. 

Pregnancy can sometimes contribute to high blood pressure.

It is important to get high blood pressure under good control.  Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to many complications such as heart attack or stroke, aneurysm, heart failure, weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys causing kidney failure, thickened, narrowed, or torn blood vessels in the eyes causing vision loss, metabolic syndrome, memory issues, and dementia.

What is normal blood pressure?  Your pressure is normal if it is below 120/80 mmHg.  It is elevated if the systolic pressure (the top number) is 120-129 and the diastolic (the lower number) is below 80 mmHg.  Elevated blood pressure gets worse over time unless you start treatment.  There are also 2 stages of when it becomes hypertension.  Stage 1 is a systolic pressure of 130-139 or a diastolic pressure of 80-89.  Stage 2 is a more severe hypertension with a systolic of 140 mmHg or more or a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or higher. 
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When should you see a doctor for it?  Virtually every time you see the doctor, your blood pressure is checked.  Starting at age 18, you should have it checked every two years.  Once you hit age 40, you should have a doctor check it once a year, or more if you are at high risk of high blood pressure.  Blood pressure should be checked in BOTH arms to see if there is a difference, and it is important to use an appropriate-sized blood pressure cuff. 

Okay, so you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension.  What do you do about it?  Lifestyle changes could control your blood pressure and help avoid medication.  These lifestyle changes include eating a heart-healthy diet with less salt, regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight or obese, and limiting the amount of alcohol you drink.  Unfortunately, sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough and you may need medications.  The type of medication is dependent on what other medical problems you have and the level of your blood pressure.  Some of these types include diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, for example), calcium channel blockers (amlodipine or Norvasc), ACE inhibitors (lisinopril) , and ARBs (losartan).  Finding the right drug or drugs is often found by trial and error.  It is not uncommon to need two or even three medications in order to control your blood pressure. 

Next week, we will look at cardiovascular disease.  Until then, eat healthy, get some exercise, avoid stress as much as possible, and enjoy life!  God bless you all! 


Dawn