Important things to know about Blood Pressure

Post date: Jul 5, 2018 11:59:51 PM

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is often called a "silent disease" because you usually don't know you have it. There may be no outward symptoms or signs, so monitoring your blood pressure is critical.

What is it

Blood pressure is the force exerted on your artery walls during your heart pumping to circulate blood around your body.

When you receive a reading of your blood pressure, it has 2 figures like 120/80. The lower number, the diastolic reading is the pressure during the relaxing/refilling phase of the heart, and the higher number, the systolic, is the pressure during the pump/contraction phase.

Why is it Blood Pressure important

High blood pressure is one of the risk factors for heart attack and stroke. There are a number of other diseases associated with high blood pressure including;

Stroke
Enlarged heart
Heart attack
Kidney failure
Heart failure
Aneurysm (a bulge in an artery wall which, if ruptured, can lead to serious internal bleeding)
Damage to the retina of the eye.

A special note about Menopause and Blood Pressure

Southern Cross in its medical library (link included below) says "After menopause a woman's risk of coronary heart disease (including high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke) increases and becomes as high as it is for men.". There are a number of other articles suggesting similar symptoms.

REPS have a paper on Menopause that draws a similar conclusion. They say "After menopause the risk of developing coronary heart disease (and high blood pressure), and stroke increases as does the risk of osteoporosis." (link included below)

I have just had my BP measured. What does my result mean? Is it good or bad?

In New Zealand some medical professionals consider that 120/80mmHg to be a “normal” reading. Actually it’s more complicated than that. A healthy blood pressure can be different for different people, and under various circumstances.

While figures over 140/90 might be cause for further investigation, your medical professional is likely to be more interested in trends, and other health conditions that may be present.

The NZ Heart Foundation says “Generally, the lower your blood pressure, the better. If you have a history of heart disease, diabetes or a high risk of heart attack or stroke, it's recommended you lower your blood pressure to less than 130/80.” There is more information on their website. There are links below.

The American Heart Association has a page “Understanding Blood Pressure Readings”. This includes explanations and a generic table categorizing some BP values. I have included a link below.

The exact causes of high blood pressure are not well known, but several things may play a role, including:

Smoking
Caffeine
Being dehydrated
Being overweight or obese
Lack of physical activity
Too much salt in the diet
Too much alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day)
Stress
Older age
Genetics
Family history of high blood pressure
Chronic kidney disease
Adrenal and thyroid disorders
Sleep apnea

What can I do to lower my Blood Pressure

You can make healthy changes to your lifestyle. For example:

Exercise more
Maintain a healthy weight
Stop smoking
Make better food and drink choices, including lowering your salt intake.
Limit alcohol
Manage your stress
Medication

How often should I have my Blood Pressure measured.

If your blood pressure is considered normal, then you might be able to have it checked once a year or two, or more often if your doctor advises.

If you have had consistently elevated readings between 120 and 139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic you might choose to have it checked more often. Your doctor will be able to advise what is appropriate for you.

If you have had readings over 140/90 then you really should check in with your doctor. You may need to consider lifestyle changes or even medication.

Who can measure my Blood Pressure.

There are a number of professionals who can measure your blood pressure. Your Doctor or Nurse, some Chemists, any Registered Personal Trainer, and even the Hospital Staff – particularly if you have urgent concerns.