According to the latest estimates, about one in three adults in the United States suffers from high blood pressure. However, since the symptoms are not obvious, about a third of people with high blood pressure do not know this. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure. The problem is that such common high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer."
What is high blood pressure blood?
Blood pressure is a force in the arteries when the heart is beating and when it is at rest. High blood pressure (or hypertension) is defined in an adult as blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg. St., With active or 90 mm Hg. St., When it is at rest.
High blood pressure can have serious consequences for the heart, but it can also significantly affect other organs and create complications for pregnant women.
According to Americanheart.org
There are a number of factors that can increase high blood pressure. While some of them are hereditary, others can be changed through lifestyle. It is very important to check your blood pressure regularly, especially if any of the factors listed below apply to you. Then check your heart for your health and, if necessary, take action on these factors that can be changed.
Factors that can be changed:
Overweight (obesity): Obesity is determined by body mass index (BMI), not weight and is very closely associated with high blood pressure. Medical professionals strongly recommend that all obese people with high blood pressure lose weight until they reach 15% of their healthy weight. Your health care provider can help you calculate your BMI and healthy body weight range.
Sodium (salt) sensitivity: some people have high sensitivity to sodium (salt), and their blood pressure increases if they use a lot of salt. A decrease in sodium intake leads to a decrease in blood pressure. Americans consume 10-15 times more sodium than they need. Fast foods and processed foods contain particularly high amounts of sodium. Many over-the-counter medicines, such as pain killers, also contain large amounts of sodium. Read the labels to find out how much sodium is in food and avoid high levels of sodium.
Alcohol use: drinking more than one or two alcohol a day tends to increase blood pressure in those who are sensitive to alcohol.
Contraceptive pills (use of oral contraceptives): some women taking birth control pills develop high blood pressure. Check with your doctor.
Lack of exercise (physical inactivity): a sedentary lifestyle contributes to the development of obesity and high blood pressure. Even minor exercises, such as a daily walk, can significantly reduce blood pressure.
Drugs. Some medicines, such as amphetamines (stimulants), diet pills and some pills used for symptoms of cold and allergies, usually increase blood pressure.
If one or more of them apply to you, check your blood pressure regularly!
Smoking: smoking increases blood pressure and, therefore, the risk of heart disease. The more and more cigarettes smoked, the higher the risk. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than double the risk of a heart attack than non-smokers. Women who smoke, as well as taking birth control pills, several times increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Factors that cannot be changed
Age: the older you get, the greater the likelihood of developing high blood pressure, especially when it is active. This is great because of arteriosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries."
Race: African Americans have high blood pressure more often than people of European descent. They develop high blood pressure at a young age and develop more serious complications sooner.
Family history (heredity): The tendency to increase blood pressure, apparently, proceeds in families.
As a rule, men are more likely to develop high blood pressure than women. This probability varies by age and by different ethnic groups.
Information contained on http://www.emedicinehealth.com/high_blood_pressure/page2_em.htm
