February is American Heart Month

Courtesy of American Heart Association

Hypertension is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It’s sometimes called “the silent killer” because it has no symptoms. One in three adults has high blood pressure, yet, about 21% don’t even know they have it. Of those with high blood pressure, 69% are receiving treatment, yet, only 45% have their blood pressure controlled.

What is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a widely misunderstood medical condition.

The blood running through your arteries flows with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries, stretching them past their healthy limit and causing microscopic tears.  Our body then kicks into injury-healing mode to repair these tears with scar tissue. But unfortunately, the scar tissue traps plaque and white blood cells which can form into blockages, blood clots, and hardened, weakened arteries.

Why High Blood Pressure Matters?

High blood pressure is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It’s sometimes called “the silent killer” because it has no symptoms.

Blockages and blood clots mean less blood can get to our vital organs, and without blood, the tissue dies. That’s why high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and even heart failure.

By keeping your blood pressure in the healthy range, you are:

• Reducing your risk of your vascular walls becoming overstretched and injured,
• Reducing your risk of your heart having to pump harder to compensate for blockages,
• Protecting your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs.

What Influences High Blood Pressure and the Risk for Stroke?

By keeping your blood pressure in the healthy range, you are: Reducing your risk of your vascular walls becoming overstretched and injured, reducing your risk of your heart having to pump harder to compensate for blockages, protecting your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs.

American Heart Association Guidelines

While there is no cure, high blood pressure is manageable.? Even if your blood pressure is normal (less than 120 mm Hg systolic AND less than 80 mm Hg diastolic) and your goal is prevention only, the lifestyle modifications provide a prescription for healthy living. These changes may reduce your blood pressure without the use of prescription medications: eating a heart-healthy diet, which may include reducing salt; enjoying regular physical activity; maintaining a healthy weight; managing stress; limiting alcohol; avoiding tobacco smoke.

Blood Pressure Success Story:

Tisha Dixon-Williams, 32, of Brooklyn, NY

A year ago, Tisha thought she was pretty healthy, despite a junk food diet. Then one day she was dizzy and couldn’t get her balance. When her computer screen seemed blurry, she told herself she needed new glasses. “I finally went to the doctor, and when I walked in my blood pressure was 190 over 120. I was a walking stroke.”

Now Tisha controls the risk factors that she can. She stays physically active by doing something she loves – dancing. Tisha has made other positive lifestyle changes too, as well as taking blood pressure medication.

“I’ve learned that if you can control your body and what you put in your mouth, you can control anything, like saying ‘no’ to that bag of salty chips. I’m not a saint all the time, but I do make wiser choices. I’ve learned that if I control what I eat, everything else is a piece of cake – no pun intended!”