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This article is all you need to know about high blood pressure. Understanding the disease is the first step for you to be able to prevent and control it most effectively. Do not ignore this article; it can change the life of you or your loved one in the future.
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, it’s called high blood pressure.
The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It increases the risk of heart disease (see Table 1) and stroke, the first- and third-leading causes of death among Americans. High blood pressure also can result in other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.
A 140/90 mmHg or higher blood pressure level is considered high. About two-thirds of people over age 65 have high blood pressure. You have prehypertension if your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg. This means you don’t have high blood pressure now but will likely develop it in the future unless you adopt the healthy lifestyle changes described in this brochure. (See Table 2.)
People who do not have high blood pressure at age 55 face a 90 per cent chance of developing it during their lifetimes. So, most people will have high blood pressure at some point. Both numbers in a blood pressure test are significant, but for people aged 50 or older, systolic pressure gives the most accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure. Systolic pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading. It is high if it is 140 mmHg or above.
*For adults ages 18 and older who are not on medicine for high blood pressure and do not have a severe short-term illness. Source: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure; NIH Publication No. 03-5230, National High Blood Pressure Education Program, May 2003. If systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different categories, overall status is the higher category.
How Can You Prevent or Control High Blood Pressure?
If you have high blood pressure, you and your healthcare provider must work together to reduce it. The two of you need to agree on your blood pressure goal. It would be best to devise a plan and timetable for reaching your goal.
Blood pressure is usually measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). It is recorded as two numbers—the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) “over” and diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats)—for example, 130/80 mmHg. Ask your doctor to write down your blood pressure numbers and goal level.
Monitoring your blood pressure at home between visits to your doctor can be helpful. You may also want to bring a family member when you visit your doctor.
Having a family member who knows that you have high blood pressure and understands what you need to do to lower your blood pressure often makes it easier to make the changes that will help you reach your goal. The steps listed in this brochure will help lower your blood pressure. If you have normal blood pressure or prehypertension, following these steps will help prevent you from developing high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, following these steps will help you control your blood pressure.
This guideline is designed to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle and remember to take prescribed blood pressure-lowering drugs. Following the steps described will help you prevent and control high blood pressure. While you read them, think to yourself . . . “I Can Do It!”
Hypertension can almost always be prevented, so these steps are essential even if you do not have high blood pressure. • Maintain a healthy weight. • Be physically active. • Follow a healthy eating plan. • Eat foods with less sodium (salt). • Drink alcohol only in moderation. • Take prescribed drugs as directed.
Lower Your Blood Pressureby Aiming for a Healthy Weight
Finding YOUR Target Weight
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. Your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases. Losing even 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure—and losing weight has the most considerable effect on those who are overweight and already have hypertension.
Overweight and obesity are also risk factors for heart disease. And it is being overweight or obese increases your chances of developing high blood cholesterol and diabetes—two more risk factors for heart disease.
Two key measures are used to determine if someone is overweight or obese. These are body mass index, BMI, and waist circumference.
BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height. It gives an approximation of total body fat—which increases the risk of diseases related to being overweight.
But BMI alone does not determine risk. For example, BMI may overestimate body fat in someone very muscular or has swelling from fluid retention (edema). BMI may underestimate body fat in older persons or those losing muscle.
That’s why waist measurement is often checked as well. Another reason is that too much body fat in the stomach increases disease risk. A waist measurement of more than 35 inches in women and more than 40 inches in men is considered high. Check the chart in Table 3 for your approximate BMI value. Check box 4 to see if you are at average weight, overweight, or obese. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9; obesity is defined as a BMI equal to or greater than 30.
If you fall in the obese range according to the guidelines in Table 4, you are at increased risk for heart disease and need to lose weight. You also should lose weight if you are overweight and have two or more heart disease risk factors. (See Table 1.) If you fall in the normal weight range or are overweight but do not need to lose, you should still be careful not to gain weight.
*Weight is measured with underwear but no shoes.
If you need to lose weight, it’s essential to do so slowly. Lose no more than 1/2 pounds to 2 pounds (0.2 – 0.5kg) weekly. Begin with a goal of losing 10 per cent of your current weight. This is the healthiest way to lose weight and offers the best chance of long-term success.
There’s no magic formula for weight loss. You have to eat fewer calories than you use up in daily activities. How many calories you burn daily depends on your body size and physical activity. (See Table 5.)
One pound (0.5kg) equals 3,500 calories. So, to lose 1 pound a week, you need to eat 500 calories a day less or burn 500 calories more than you usually do. It’s best to work out some combination of eating less and being more physically active.
Source: Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: The Evidence Report; NIH Publication No. 98-4083, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in cooperation with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, June 1998.
And remember to be aware of serving sizes. Not only what you eat adds calories, but also how much. As you lose weight, be sure to follow a healthy eating plan that includes a variety of foods. An excellent plan to follow is the one given in box 6. Some tips to make the plan lower in calories appear in Table 8.
Professional consulting: ThS.BS.Dao Thi My Van
For more Guidelines for lowering blood pressure | Part 2
For more Guidelines for lowering blood pressure | Part 3
Guidelines for lowering blood pressure | Part 2