For most people, there may be no single cause for their high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also cause heart and kidney disease and is closely linked to some forms of dementia.
Over time, this extra strain increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. If you have high blood pressure, this higher pressure puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels. You may also have high blood pressure if just one of the numbers is higher than it should be over several weeks. You probably have high blood pressure (hypertension) if your blood pressure readings are consistently 140 over 90, or higher, over several weeks. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. Related: Six tips to naturally lower your blood pressure>Usually hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90 and is considered severe if the pressure is above 180/120. Lowering your sodium intake through reducing your consumption of salt and processed foods, reducing your daily caffeine intake and establishing an effective and appropriate exercise routine are good places to start. The best way to prevent or manage high blood pressure is through proper diet, regular exercise and consistent weight and stress management. What Are Some Ways You Can Prevent or Manage High Blood Pressure? For example, 120/70 would be read as “one-twenty over seventy.” In this example, 120 refers to the pressure of your blood against blood vessels when the heart is actively pumping, while 70 refers to the pressure on your artery walls when your heart is at rest between beats. High blood pressure can also be responsible for life-changing conditions including vision loss, sexual dysfunction and peripheral artery disease (PAD).īlood pressure is measured using two numbers, written with one over the other. What Are the Health Risks Associated With High Blood Pressure?Īccording to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure can cause a number of life-threatening conditions, including: Experts believe that these new guidelines, if followed correctly and consistently, will assist more patients in avoiding preventable conditions such as heart attack and stroke through proper management of blood pressure earlier than before. The change in blood pressure guidelines is due primarily to the study of the risks of high blood pressure in patients over time. Why the Change in Blood Pressure Guidelines? Recognizing that facts such as stress and socioeconomic status may influence the presence of high blood pressure.In addition, there is a higher likelihood of patients following prescriptions if multiple medications are integrated into a single pill. Acknowledging many people may need more than one type of medication to regulate blood pressure.Avoiding the prescription of blood pressure medication for Stage 1 hypertension unless the patient has had a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke, or is at high risk of heart attack or stroke.Consult your doctor immediately and report to the nearest Emergency Department.Īccording to the American college of Cardiology, other changes include: *This is considered an emergency situation. One of the main changes made to the blood pressure guidelines is the redefinition of what high blood pressure is. What Are the New Blood Pressure Guidelines? Although you may not experience symptoms, high blood pressure can be damaging to critical organs and may lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. Meet our team or call 77 to schedule an appointment with a board-certified cardiovascular specialist.īlood pressure is defined as the force of the blood flowing through your blood vessels. Prior to this amendment, 32 percent of the population had been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Under these new guidelines, it is estimated that 46% of Americans will be diagnosed with hypertension. New guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology in November 2017 have lowered the bar for what is considered high blood pressure (hypertension).
High Blood Pressure Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)