Getting your numbers under control can improve your overall health and decrease your risk of a heart attack.
Blood pressure is the force that your blood exerts on vessels as it moves through your body. With each contraction of your heart, blood is forced out, followed by a fraction of a second of relaxation before it pumps again. This pump-and-relax process exerts varying amounts of force on your blood vessels. In fact, your blood pressure naturally fluctuates throughout the day, depending on what you’re doing and how much you are stressed. For example, the blood pressure may be fast when you are cutting vegetable or in rush to reach office. It also depends on the stress, your BP may be low while watching an emotional or strategic movie.
Ideally, a “normal” pressure measures about 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or lower. The top number relates to the force with which the blood leaves the heart, and the bottom number registers the pressure on the vessels as the heart relaxes between beats.
If you have normal blood pressure, it tells us that the blood vessels are very flexible. And when your blood vessels are flexible, they are less vulnerable to the buildup of plaque or cholesterol in the arteries.
In one out of three people, however, the number on the doctor’s sphygmomanometer (the cuff used to measure blood pressure) inches above the 140/90 mm Hg mark — into territory known as high blood pressure, or hypertension? Unfortunately, people generally cannot feel the difference between 120/80 and 140/90, so many are unaware that they have high blood pressure.
Who’s at Risk for High Blood Pressure?
Women taking the birth control pill are more likely to experience high blood pressure than those who aren’t. Women need to be especially vigilant about early detection and treatment. “Women are more susceptible to organ damage from mildly elevated blood pressure,” Dr. Goldberg says. If your numbers start inching above 120/80, don’t wait until you have full-blown hypertension to make the changes necessary to bring those numbers down.
Prehypertension, which is defined as between 120/80 and 140/90, responds very well to diet and lifestyle changes.
While these risk factors deliver clues as to who might develop hypertension, no one is immune from risk. The American Heart Association reports that in as many as 95 percent of cases of high blood pressure, the cause is unknown.
How Can High Blood Pressure Be Lowered?
High blood pressure is not curable, but it can respond very well to treatment. Dietary changes — such as switching to a low-salt diet, watching your portion sizes, and avoiding processed and fast foods — can help, as can exercise and weight loss.
The DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet, a favorite of Goldberg’s that was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is a low-fat, low-salt diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and is designed to help bring blood pressure numbers down.
When dietary changes are not enough, medications may help. Diuretics help rid the body of excess fluids and sodium. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and AT2 receptor antagonists expand the blood vessels and decrease their resistance, thus saving them from damage. Beta-blockers lower blood pressure by decreasing the heart rate and cardiac output.
Being diagnosed with hypertension can be scary, but on the positive side, it can be treated very effectively. With proper lifestyle changes and prescribed medications, it’s possible to get your numbers back into the normal range. In doing so, you’ll put less stress on your blood vessels, which in turn can lead to less mental stress. And that may go a long way toward helping you become the healthiest you can be.
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