High Blood Pressure: The Facts

What is high blood pressure, or hypertension?

You are considered to have HTN if your BP is > 140/90 and prehypertensive if your BP is between 120/80-140/90. 

 What should my blood pressure be? 

I’d like it to be 120/80 or lower.

What do these readings mean?

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries.

• The higher (systolic) number represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump blood to the body
• The lower (diastolic) number represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

HTN is considered a “silent killer” because most people do not know that their BP is elevated.  Some people may experience flushing, dizziness, headaches, or visual changes when their BP is high.  The best way to see if you have HTN is to check your BP at home when you do not feel anxious.  Take it once daily for a week at various times and average the total readings.

Is it dangerous for my BP to get too low?

There is no specific number at which blood pressure is considered too low. Most doctors consider chronically low blood pressure dangerous only if it causes noticeable signs and symptoms such as dizziness or fainting.  I have patients who have always run in the 90s/60s and that is normal for them. 

My BP has always naturally been high.  I don’t need to lower it…

I nag you about your BP because studies indicate that there is a true and direct correlation between untreated high blood pressure and risk of stroke and heart disease. 

How can I eat to reduce my BP?

Follow the DASH diet.  Click on this link to access more information about this

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf

 Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week, and consume a low salt diet.

 How much salt should I consume in my diet?

You should be getting less than 2300mg sodium per day if you don’t have HTN.  This is equivalent to 1 tsp of salt per day.  If you are African American or have a history of HTN, then you sodium allowance is 1500mg or less than 1 tsp salt/day.  I prefer that you use natural salt or sea salt as common table salt has added chemicals and table salt is heated to over 1200 degrees Fahrenheit altering the natural chemical structure of the salt which could cause health problems.  Better yet, don’t add salt to your diet and try to eat foods in their natural states.

What are the best BP cuffs?

Obviously the one that gives you the best reading  Seriously though, I recommend to my patients Omron cuffs for their reliability.  The A&D Medical Lifesource cuffs are also well reviewed.  For those who find the upper arm cuffs difficult to use, I recommend the Omron HEM 650 wrist monitor as it is generally accurate.

 Can I check my BP at a grocery store or pharmacy?

Many supermarkets and drugstores offer free blood pressure monitors for public use. But these machines are used continually and can get seriously out of calibration, so the value of the readings taken using those is limited.