When The Blood Pressure Chart Goes Rogue (And What To Do About It)
Updated: Jan 11
I recently had my annual checkup at work (because, let's face it, it's one of those things we all have to do), and guess what they told me? My blood pressure's a tad on the high side - 135/85 to be exact. Now, here's the kicker: I'm a towering 6.2 feet tall, but I've been lugging well over 200 pounds for quite a few years (except for that miraculous period when I had a personal trainer, see my blog page: Workout for a Healthier You).
Now, I'm not a math whiz, but according to the fancy Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, that's a BMI of 27. Great, but what does all of this mean for my blood pressure, you ask?
The normal blood pressure chart reading is 120/80. So, when you see numbers like 135/90, that's like a red flag waving, saying, "Hey, you might be headed for high blood pressure land!" They even gave it a fancy name - "prehypertension." It's like the pregame show before the big hypertension game, I guess.
So, there you have it, folks. I'm on the brink of a health showdown, and I'm taking you all along for the ride. Check out the below blood pressure chart to see where you are currently and where you might be heading if you do not act now.
For more info on blood pressure chart, check out the below links:
If untreated, slightly elevated blood pressure will likely turn into high blood pressure (hypertension)
If you don't make lifestyle changes, such as to start exercising and eating healthier, both prehypertension and high blood pressure increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Now, that is so not what I want.
"Weight loss, exercise and other healthy lifestyle changes can often control prehypertension - and set the stage for a lifetime of better health. Prehypertension doesn't cause symptoms. In fact, severe high blood pressure may not cause symptoms. The only way to detect prehypertension is to keep track of your blood pressure readings. Have your blood pressure checked at each doctor's visit - or check it regularly yourself at home with a home blood pressure monitoring device."
Risk factors for prehypertension include:
Being overweight or obese: A primary risk factor is being overweight. The greater your body mass, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the force on your artery walls.
Age: Younger adults are more likely to have prehypertension than are older adults - probably because most older adults have progressed to high blood pressure.
Gender: Prehypertension is more common in men than in women.
Family history of high blood pressure: High blood pressure tends to run in families. If a first-degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, has high blood pressure, you're more likely to develop the condition.
Sedentary lifestyle: Not exercising can lead to the development of coronary artery disease, which in turn can increase your blood pressure.
Diet high in sodium or low in potassium: Sodium and potassium are two key nutrients in the way your body regulates your blood pressure. If you have too much sodium or too little potassium in your diet, you're more likely to have high blood pressure.
Tobacco use: Smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco or even being around other people who are smoking (secondhand smoke) can increase your blood pressure.
Excessive alcohol use: Drinking more than two drinks a day if you're a man younger than 65, or more than one drink a day if you're a man older than age 65 can increase your blood pressure.
Certain chronic conditions - including high cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea - may increase the risk of prehypertension as well.
Can sitting too much harm your health?
If you are an office worker, it means you sit all day:
at your desk
during meetings
during lunch
in the car
at the dinner table
watching TV
What are the possible effects of high blood pressure?
I wanted to find out what being overweight and having a higher than normal blood pressure could cause.
This is the shortlist:
High blood pressure can damage your organs and increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and dementia. More specifically it can cause:
Artery damage and narrowing
Coronary artery disease
Heart failure
Damage to your brain
Stroke
Dementia
Mild cognitive impairment
Damage to your kidneys
Damage to your eyes
Sexual dysfunction
Bone loss
Trouble sleeping
Oh, great.
As your blood pressure increases, so does your risk of cardiovascular disease. That's why it's so important to control pre-hypertension.
Commit to healthy lifestyle changes
Eat healthy foods: Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Eat less saturated fat and total fat.
Maintain a healthy weight: If you're overweight, losing even 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) can lower your blood pressure.
Use less salt: A lower sodium level - 1,500 milligrams (mg) a day - is appropriate for people 51 years of age or older, and individuals of any age who have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Otherwise healthy people can aim for 2,300 mg a day or less. While you can reduce the amount of salt you eat by putting down the saltshaker, you should also pay attention to the amount of salt that's in the processed foods you eat, such as canned soups or frozen dinners.
Increase physical activity: Regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure and keep your weight under control. Strive for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Limit alcohol: If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.
Generally doctors will give you 6-12 months to bring your blood pressure down.
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