MEDICAL QUESTIONS: Hypertension – Do We Take Control?

The prevalence of high blood pressure (high blood pressure) is high in the United States and around the world. The treatment of hypertension is the most common reason for clinical visits to nonpregnant adults in the United States and the most common reason for the use of prescription medications.

How is the RAP diagnosed? Blood pressure less than 120/80 is considered normal. If your blood pressure is above 120/80, you may be suffering from pre-hypertension. A blood pressure of 130/90 is considered hypertension and requires medical attention.

Why is it important to treat the RAP? Untreated hypertension is badociated with significant cardiac and renal problems. Chronic kidney failure, heart failure, stroke, and heart attack can result from uncontrolled high blood pressure.

There are risk factors that increase your risk of developing high blood pressure. Some of the risk factors that you can control and others that you can not. The things that can be controlled are:

• Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke
• Diabetes
• Being obese or overweight
• High cholesterol
• An unhealthy diet high in sodium, low in potbadium
• Drink too much alcohol
• Lack of physical inactivity

You may have risk factors that you can not control. Factors that can not be changed or are difficult to control are:

• A family history of hypertension
• Race / ethnic origin
• Growing age
• Sex (men)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea

Socio-economic status and psychosocial stress are also risk factors for HBP. These can affect access to basic necessities, medications, health care providers and the ability to adopt lifestyle changes.

If you have been diagnosed with HBP, you may want to consider monitoring your blood pressure at home. Be sure to use the same validated instrument at the same time of the day when performing home measurements to compare the results more accurately. Position yourself properly and place the cuff bottom directly over the bend of the elbow. It is best to take at least two readings, one minute apart. Plan to take your blood pressure every morning before taking your medications and every evening before dinner.

What can you do about the HBP? The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend the following:

• Do not smoke and avoid second-hand smoke
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Adopt a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy products.
• Try to consume less than 1500 mg / day of sodium (salt).
• Eat foods rich in potbadium. Aim for 3,500 – 5,000 mg of dietary potbadium daily.
• Limit your alcohol intake to one drink a day if you are a woman or two drinks a day if you are a man.
• Be more physically active. Aim for at least 90 to 150 minutes of aerobic and / or dynamic resistance exercise per week and / or three isometric resistance exercise sessions per week.
• Take the medication as your doctor has told you.
• Know what your blood pressure is and be sure to keep it at this level.

Dr. Nargunan works for ProCare Endocrinology.