High Blood Pressure

Heart attacks & strokes.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries

The force that your heart produces in your arteries

when it pumps is called your blood pressure

The higher your blood pressure the greater your risk

of developing heart problems, kidney disease and strokes.

Why is blood pressure important?

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

High blood pressure can also be called hypertension; both words mean the same thing.

If your Blood Pressure is consistently more

than 140/90 mmHg. then you have high blood pressure

Who gets high blood pressure?

If you have family history of high BP, stroke, heart attack you are more likely to have high blood pressure

Diabetes, kidney and heart diseases are also linked to high BP

Life style – overweight, eating too much salt, physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking – also affect your BP

Blood pressure also goes up as we get older

How do I know if I've got high blood

pressure? No signs and symptoms at the beginning High blood pressure sometimes is called “silent killer” The only way to know is to have your BP measured. Know “your numbers” (BP, Height, Weight, Sugar, etc).

BMI Categories: Underweight = <18.5

Normal weight = 18.5-24.9 Overweight = 25-29.9

Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Know your body mass index (BMI)

What do the numbers mean? For example 130/80 mmHg – “130 over 80”

- The top number, called “systolic pressure”, is pressure in the arteries after your heart pumped out blood through them - The bottom number, “diastolic pressure”, is pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes.

Normal blood pressure range is between 110-140 / 70 – 90 mmHg.

Have your BP checked at least once a year, but preferably more often.

BP~120/80mmHg

Other risk factors for Heart Attack and Stroke Age Gender Family history Ethnicity Stress Smoking Sedentary life style High Cholesterol (saturated fat)

You can’t change some of these factors (age, family history), but it is possible to change other risk factors.

How to lower the risk of high BP?

Key steps to keep BP down1. Know your numbers (get

your BP check regularly)2. Eat less salt (no more than

6g a day)3. Eat more fruit and

vegetables (at least 5 portions a day)

4. Be as active as you can (aim for 30 minutes five times a week)

5. Drink alcohol in moderation6. Keep to a healthy weight

(lose weight if you have to)

To lower risk of heart attack and stroke:

1. Give up smoking

2. Eat less fat

3. Deal effectively with your stress

Changing life style

Salt and high Blood Pressure

High salt intake can retain fluids in the body and cause high BP - The more salt we eat, the higher our blood pressure

Reduce the amount of salt intake in three common steps:

•Do not add salt to your food at the table

•Do not add salt to cooking

•Avoid manufactured or processed foods that have salt added

Fruit and vegetables are a good natural source of potassium. This has the opposite effect to sodium/salt and will help to lower your blood pressure

Fruit and vegetables also contain anti-oxidants, for example vitamins C and E, which may play an important role in preventing heart disease

Fruit and vegetables are very low in salt, usually contain little fat and are a good source of fiber

Vegetables are easy to cook and fruit does not need preparation

Changing life style

Fruits and Vegetables

Lowering your blood pressure Improving your blood cholesterol levels Losing weight or to maintain a healthy

weight

Helping to control and prevent diabetes

Changing life stylePhysical activity – they way to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke by:

How to diagnose hypertension? BP is measured by

using sphygmomanometers, aneroid or digital BP devices

The BP readings should be repeated throughout the day / week.

Blood Sugar < 140 mg/dl

LDL / HDL

Additional tests: - Fasting Blood Sugar check - Fasting Total Cholesterol check - Blood Lipids profile - Kidney function tests (urinalysis, blood nitrogen, and etc) - EKG.

How hypertension is treated?

If the BP is between 140-160/90 mmHg:

Cut down on your salt Eat more fruit and

vegetables Be more active Find and reach your ideal

weight Stop smoking Drink alcohol only in

moderate amounts

If the BP more than 160/100mmHg:

Consult your physician Follow lifestyle

changing advices You may need to take

medicines to lower and maintain normal BP.

Remember – consult your doctor whenever BP is subject for consideration