It’s an unfortunate fact that growing older increases the risk of certain health conditions, although a healthy lifestyle can mitigate this risk. For example, the odds of developing a heart attack or being diagnosed with a major disease such as cancer rises with age, and the chances of dying of these diseases do too.
Yet, many people don’t get preventive care, nor do they get screening tests and laboratory studies regularly to follow markers of health, like their blood pressure, or blood lipids. So, they don’t know whether they’re not at high risk of future health problems.
Although there are a variety of screening tests, one quick and easy-to-measure test that can be lifesaving is a blood pressure measurement. Diagnosing and treating hypertension early, before it causes damage, is the goal of blood pressure monitoring, and well worth the effort.
One of the most important markers for heart health to follow is blood pressure. Why is identifying high blood pressure early so critical? People who have hypertension are 4 times more likely to die of a stroke and 3 times as likely to experience a heart attack than those with healthy blood pressure.
Those are sobering statistics, but by monitoring your blood pressure closely, you can make the lifestyle changes you need to bring it down. Hypertension is a common condition and one that’s treatable through lifestyle, medications, or a combination of the two.
Undiagnosed Hypertension Is More Common Than It Should Be
A comprehensive study that surveyed blood pressure and the incidence of hypertension from 2017 to 2018 found that 45.7% of adults have hypertension, with men having a higher incidence (51%) than women. (39.7%). But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 million Americans have a blood pressure that’s too high and don’t know it. Why might this be? Too few people are getting screened for high blood pressure. Therefore, they aren’t getting appropriate treatment early enough to prevent damage to their heart and other organs.
What happens when hypertension goes unnoticed and untreated? Over time, high blood pressure slowly damages heart valves and arteries that supply blood to the lungs, kidneys, and liver. In fact, untreated hypertension can damage almost every organ. Plus, the damage that hypertension does is a slow, relentless process that causes few symptoms until the damage is substantial and may not be reversible. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, kidney failure, and even blindness.
Even Borderline High Blood Pressure Readings Increase Health Risks
Here’s a fact that might surprise you. The risk to your health starts to rise even when blood pressure is still within a “normal” range. A study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that early damage to the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels occurs at a blood pressure of 115/75 mmHg. and higher, a level at which most people don’t get treatment and doctors label as normal.
Don’t think a little high blood pressure is okay. Even mildly elevated blood pressure over a lifetime is linked with substantial health risks, including a heightened risk of heart failure, stroke, and kidney damage. The injury to the body increases the longer an elevated blood pressure stays up.
How to Get Accurate Blood Pressure Readings
Just as important as seeing your doctor for blood pressure screening is monitoring blood pressure at home, especially if you have hypertension or borderline high blood pressure. You can purchase a home monitor at most drugstores for a reasonable price but be sure to get a monitor that measures blood pressure in your upper arm rather than your wrist. It’s harder to accurately place a blood pressure monitor on your wrist, and readings from a wrist monitor are often higher than readings you get from your upper arm.
Make sure the cuff you use is giving you reliable readings. Have your physician verify that your blood pressure cuff is accurate by bringing it in for calibration. It’s helpful to check it at various times of day, including the morning and evening to see how it changes. Studies suggest that blood pressure spikes in the morning may indicate a higher risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular events. Your blood pressures may also be lower at home than they are at your doctor’s office due to the stress of being in a different environment.
Sit for at least five minutes before checking your blood pressure, and make sure you haven’t just eaten a large meal. Also, empty your bladder beforehand. A full bladder can add as many as 10 points to the reading you get. Sit up straight too, as poor posture can affect your blood pressure too.
The Bottom Line
Monitor your blood pressure. It could prevent dialysis, heart disease, strokes, blindness, and blood vessel aneurysms. There is no one-size-fits-all prescription for controlling high blood pressure. For mild hypertension, lifestyle changes such as losing weight, eating a diet lower in salt and sugar, and getting moderate amounts of exercise may be enough to get borderline high blood pressure back into a healthier range. However, lifestyle isn’t always enough though.
Some people, despite making healthy lifestyle changes, have persistently elevated blood pressure. Fortunately, there are a variety of medications that can lower blood pressure safely and effectively. Talk to your physician about what course of treatment is right for you, but don’t ignore high blood pressure readings and make sure you’re keeping tabs on your blood pressure.
References:
- “Patients With Undiagnosed Hypertension: Hiding in Plain ….” jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1935131.
- Weekly / July 27, 2018 / 67(29);798-802.
- “High blood pressure in the morning: What does it mean?.” 02 Dec. 2020, medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327151.
- Paul O. Risks of mild hypertension: a ten-year report. Br Heart J. 1971;33(Suppl):Suppl:116-21. doi: 10.1136/hrt.33.suppl.116. PMID: 5572636; PMCID: PMC503283.
- Singh S, Shankar R, Singh GP. Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Varanasi. Int J Hypertens. 2017;2017:5491838. doi: 10.1155/2017/5491838. Epub 2017 Dec 3. PMID: 29348933; PMCID: PMC5733954.
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