BROUGHT TO YOU BY Blood Pressure High blood pressure usually has no warning signs or symptoms, so many people don't realize they have it. According to the Center of Disease Control, CDC, about 75 million American adults (32%) have high blood pressure which calculates to 1 in every 3 adults. And 1 in 3 American adults has prehypertension. Prehypertension is blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal but not yet in the high blood pressure range. While your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your heart and cause health problems. Read more about your blood pressure in this week's Thursday Wellness Tip.
Blood Pressure In This Issue: } What is High Blood Pressure? } Exercise to Lower Blood Pressure } Risk Factors for Higher Blood Pressure What Is High Blood Pressure? What is high blood pressure and why is it dangerous? Get the answers to your blood pressure FAQs here. At each doctor visit, one of the first things the nurse does is check your blood pressure. Why is this measurement so important? Here are the facts. What is blood pressure? Video Spotlight: Why is blood pressure important? Controlling High Blood Pressure Without Medication Blood pressure measures the force of blood that travels through your arteries. If it s too high, it s a risk factor for heart disease, stroke and other complications. High blood pressure is often referred to as the silent killer because, most of the time, it has no symptoms. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Readings are recorded as a fraction, with systolic pressure over diastolic pressure. For example: 120/80 mm Hg or 120 over 80. Systolic pressure is the first or top number -- 120 in the example above. This is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. Diastolic pressure is the bottom number -- 80 in the example. This is the pressure between heartbeats. Blood pressure readings vary during the day, depending on your activity level. Blood pressure is often lower when you sleep and rises when you exercise. 1 1
What Is High Blood Pressure? (continued) What is high? Hypertension (high blood pressure) has no symptoms, so your nurse or doctor will measure your blood pressure regularly during checkups. Your doctor will let you know how often you need it checked. High blood pressure is usually diagnosed after two or more high readings are recorded. High blood pressure is classified as follows: Category Normal Systolic pressure (mm Hg) Less than 120 Diastolic pressure (mm Hg) and Less than 80 Prehypertension 120-139 or 80-89 Hypertension stage 1 Only one number -- systolic or diastolic -- has to be high to be diagnosed with high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure, the greater your chance for complications, such as heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. How is it treated? High blood pressure is treated through lifestyle modifications and possibly medication. Lifestyle changes include: 140-159 or 90-99 Reach or maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, lose weight. A weight loss of 10 pounds can often help lower blood pressure. Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Studies show that the DASH diet helps control high blood pressure. The diet is rich in vegetables, fruit and low-fat dairy. Foods high in saturated and total fat and cholesterol are limited. The DASH diet is also high in potassium. Adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet can help reduce blood pressure. Potassium can be found in many fruits and vegetables, beans/legumes, nuts and dairy products. Limit sodium (salt) intake. Eating a diet high in sodium may raise your blood pressure and lead to heart disease and stroke. Experts now recommend limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg (two thirds of a teaspoon) per day. Get active with your doctor s approval. Work up to 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink, limit yourself to two drinks a day for a man or one drink a day for a woman. Quit smoking. Smoking raises your risk for heart disease and other serious medical problems. Changes to your lifestyle may not be enough to control your high blood pressure. Often, people need one medicine or more to control high blood pressure. Take your medication as your doctor prescribes. What causes high blood pressure? In 90 to 95 percent of the cases, the cause of high blood pressure is unknown. This type of high blood pressure is known as essential hypertension. Sometimes the cause of high blood pressure is known: Secondary hypertension is high blood pressure that is caused by illness, such as kidney or adrenal gland problems. Pregnancy-related hypertension is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy. 2 2
What Is High Blood Pressure? (continued) How can I prevent it? Follow these tips to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure: Exercise regularly. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise program. Lose weight if you are overweight. Limit your salt intake. The recommendation for daily intake of sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg). If you are over 50, African American or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, that number drops to 1,500 mg per day. Consuming less salt can help reduce blood pressure. Limit alcohol. Manage your stress. Stress can raise your blood pressure. Don t smoke. If you do, quit. Some risk factors for high blood pressure are out of your control, though: Heredity. Like many diseases, high blood pressure tends to run in families. Age. Your risk of developing high blood pressure increases as you age. Race. African Americans get high blood pressure more often than Caucasians. High blood pressure usually starts at a younger age and it is often more severe. SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About high blood pressure. Accessed: 11/21/2011 U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2010 Accessed: 11/21/2011 National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. Accessed: 06/29/2012 Copyright 2014 myoptumhealth. Exercise to Lower Blood Pressure Have hypertension? Exercise can be a valuable part of your high blood pressure treatment plan. Get started! Many people need a combination of lifestyle changes and medicine to control blood pressure. Regular aerobic exercise can be a key part of a treatment plan for hypertension. While power or weightlifting can be risky for people with high blood pressure, aerobic exercise, where the body is put into motion, can lower blood pressure by 10 points, along with offering a host of other health benefits. Why aerobic exercise for lower blood pressure? Aerobic exercise makes your heart stronger and work more efficiently. An efficient heart doesn t have to pump as hard to circulate blood, resulting in lower blood pressure. Regular exercise also makes the blood vessels more flexible, so they can accommodate an increase in blood flow. Exercise also helps you better manage stress and control weight, both of which result in lower blood pressure. Here are some other things to keep in mind about exercise and blood pressure: Being active decreases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by about 10 points each, on average. Once you start exercising, you can expect a drop in blood pressure within the first 3 to 4 weeks. But you have to stick with your fitness program long-term to keep your blood pressure lower. People with high blood pressure who exercise regularly have lower death rates than those who aren t fit. Exercise works best when combined with other healthy habits to lower blood pressure, such as eating a nutritious diet and losing weight. Follow your high blood pressure care plan exactly as your doctor directs. And before you increase your activity, be sure to ask your doctor if it s OK. Exercise may not be safe for some people with very high blood pressure or other medical problems. 3 3
Exercise to Lower Blood Pressure (continued) Get started with exercise Aim for 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. That number seems high, but try breaking it up into smaller sessions. For example, take three, 10-minute walks each day and you ll meet your goal. Try these tips to get started with exercise: Choose an activity you enjoy. Biking, walking, swimming or playing tennis can be fun exercise options. Choose any activity you enjoy and you ll be more likely to stick with it. Remember exercise doesn t have to happen in a gym for it to count. Plan exercise into your day. Schedule your workout session in your calendar like you would any other meeting or appointment. Wake up earlier to do an exercise DVD, walk during your lunch hour or stop at the gym on the way home from work. Recruit others. Being active may be more enjoyable if you have a buddy. What s more, when you know someone is waiting you may be less likely to skip your workout. Ask your coworkers to walk with you at lunch or plan a weekend hike with your family. Other ways to bring blood pressure down Eat a healthy diet. Ask your doctor about the DASH diet. Studies show a diet that limits saturated fat and cholesterol, but emphasizes potassium-rich foods like fruits, whole grains, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods can lower high blood pressure. Watch your salt intake. Limiting the amount of sodium (salt) also lowers blood pressure in many people. The biggest blood pressure-lowering benefits are for those who limited sodium to less than 1,500 milligrams per day. Reach and keep a healthy weight. Overweight people are more likely to develop high blood pressure. Don t smoke. If you do, get help to quit from your doctor. Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink, women should drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day, and men should drink no more than two. SOURCES: American Heart Association. Physical activity and blood pressure. Accessed: 06/05/2012 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Your guide to lowering blood pressure. Accessed: 06/05/2012 United States Department of Agriculture. Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Accessed: 06/05/2012 American College of Sports Medicine. Exercise your way to lower blood pressure. Accessed: 06/05/2012 Copyright 2014 myoptumhealth. 4 4
Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure Certain factors put you at greater risk for high blood pressure. Some you can change, while others are out of your control. Get the facts here. Blood pressure is the force at which your blood travels through your arteries. Having high blood pressure (hypertension) is dangerous because it increases your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Who s at risk? About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure. It can strike anyone. Experts are unsure what causes the condition, but certain factors are known to increase your risk: Being overweight or obese. Overweight people are more likely than others to develop high blood pressure. If you are overweight, take action to reach a healthy weight. Even a modest weight loss may help lower blood pressure. Smoking. Smoking cigarettes ups your risk for high blood pressure, heart problems, and many other serious diseases. If you smoke, get help to quit. Drinking a lot of alcohol. Heavy drinking is linked with high blood pressure. If you choose to drink, limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks per day if you are a man, and no more than 1drink a day if you are a woman. Having a sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical activity can help keep blood pressure in target range. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week for health benefits. You may need more activity if you need to lose weight. Check with your doctor first before increasing your activity level. Eating too much salt (sodium). Eating a diet high in sodium may raise your blood pressure and lead to heart disease and stroke. Experts now recommend reducing daily sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg, or about two thirds of a teaspoon of salt. Having other health conditions. Other conditions can affect your blood pressure. People with diabetes often have high blood pressure. Some women get high blood pressure during pregnancy. Work with your doctor to take control of your health and reduce your chances of other medical complications. Taking certain medicines. Some drugs, like birth control pills and steroids, can cause high blood pressure or make blood pressure meds less effective. Always tell your doctor about all prescriptions, overthe-counter drugs, herbs, and supplements you take. Stress. Having high levels of stress may be linked with higher blood pressure. Find healthy ways to deal with stress. Try exercise, relaxation techniques, or a relaxing hobby. Having higher than normal blood pressure (prehypertension). Having blood pressure that s higher than normal, but not high enough to be in the hypertensive range, puts you at risk for high blood pressure. 5 5
Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure (continued) Other factors also increase your risk, but they are beyond your control: Heredity. If your parents have or had high blood pressure, you have an increased chance of having it, too. Race. African-Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than Caucasians. The condition often comes on at a younger age and is more severe. Age. Your risk for getting high blood pressure goes up with age. How do I know if I have high blood pressure? If you re at risk for high blood pressure and haven t had your blood pressure checked in a while, see your doctor. The condition usually comes on without symptoms, so you can have high blood pressure and not know it. The only way to know for sure is to get your blood pressure checked by your doctor as often as advised. SOURCES: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The seventh report on the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. Accessed: 04/25/2011 National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Who is at risk for high blood pressure? Accessed: 05/09/2011 American Heart Association. High blood pressure, factors that contribute to. Accessed: 05/09/2011 U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Accessed: 05/09/2011 Copyright 2014 myoptumhealth. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and not intended to be nor should be construed as medical advice. You should consult your own doctor to determine what may be right for you. 2014 United HealthCare Services, Inc. UHCEW000000-000 1/14 6 6