Healthcore - What do blood pressure tests tell us?

As part of your overall health maintenance, you should check you blood pressure annually, Your doctor may check it more frequently if you fit the heart attack risk profile, or have had high readings in the past.

It's estimated that about 50 million Americans have high blood pressure, and most don't even know it. High blood pressure is also called hypertension. It's a condition where the heart is working extra hard to pump blood through narrowed or constricted arteries. If you have high blood pressure, and it is left unchecked, you could potentially suffer a stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and other serious problems.

While it is best to have your blood pressure checked during regular visits to the doctor, you can save time and money, by checking it yourself. Some pharmacies carry equipment for measuring blood pressure at home, but in many cases you can get a quick reading at one of the free-standing machines in the pharmacy or grocery store. If you plan on monitoring your own blood pressure, you'll need to know how to interpret a reading.

As blood courses through your body, it pumps in spurts. This movement is reflected in your blood pressure reading. That's why your blood pressure is expressed, for example, as 120/80. The number on top is called the systolic pressure. It measures the force with which the heart pumps blood. The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, measures pressure exerted between heartbeats, while the heart is resting. Normal blood pressure for an adult should be less than 130/80. If you're reading your blood pressure on your own, you should see a doctor for measurements above 140/90.

How does blood pressure rise?
It is normal for blood pressure to rise slightly as we get older, but several factors seem to contribute to hypertension. These include:

heredity
ethnicity - hypertension is most common in African American men
diabetes
obesity
stress
smoking
too much alcohol
a sedentary lifestyle

How can you lower your risk of hypertension?
Follow these suggestions, to keep your blood pressure in a safe zone:

Don't smoke.
Reduce your salt intake. Keep it at around a teaspoonful a day.
Check food labels. Many canned and processed foods contain high levels of sodium.
Lose weight.
Cut down on high-fat foods. Limit your daily fat intake to no more than 30 percent of your total calories, with only 10 percent coming from saturated animal fats.
Don't consumer more than one alcoholic drink a day.
Exercise regularly.
Eat fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Consider ways to reduce stress in your life. Try yoga or meditation.

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