What is high blood pressure? Many do not understand the importance of maintaining a good blood pressure and the health risks it may have if it is out of control.
Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic, top number) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic, bottom number), such as 120/80. High blood pressure or hypertension is defined in an adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 systolic, and greater than or equal to 90 diastolic.
High blood pressure directly increases your risk of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attacks and strokes, especially along with other risk factors. It can occur in children or adults but is most common among persons over the age of 35. It is particularly prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese persons, heavy drinkers, and women who are taking birth control pills. It may run in families but many with a strong history of high blood pressure never have it. Diabetes mellitus, gout, or kidney disease may increase your chance of high blood pressure.
The American Heart Association has recommended blood pressure measurements taken at home by patients is a valuable addition to measurements taken in the physician office. The new findings increase the role that at-home, ambulatory blood pressure measurements, can play in managing heart disease. They found that blood pressure measurements in a physician’s office are often wrong. This is because the patient is not in their home environment and often are more stressed at the doctors office.
Taking at-home blood pressure measures the blood pressure regularly throughout the day and night. This allows patients to keep a journal of pressure fluctuations and to record the readings at night when blood pressure drops slightly. Research shows that elevated blood pressure readings at night are associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. Normally your pressure will be the highest at the time you rise from bed in the morning. As your body starts to wake up and start the day so does your blood pressure. These at home readings and the readings and treatment your doctor recommends are your aids in controlling hypertension.
According to American Heart, 65 million American, almost 1 in 3 adults, have high blood pressure. There is much you can do to lower your risk. Check with your doctor first, don’t be that 1/3, watch your blood pressure.