Know Your Blood Pressure for a Healthy Heart
Black History Month is a good time to learn more about blood pressure because African Americans tend to develop high blood pressure more often than people of any other racial background in the United States.
Last month’s WellWithin feature was on “Making Your Health a Priority.” This month our focus is on heart health; after all, it is February!
And since it’s also Black History month, it’s important to note African Americans have slightly lower cholesterol levels than other racial groups, yet they are more likely to die from heart disease. In fact, Black people tend to develop high blood pressure more often than people of any other racial background in the United States.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, (also referred to as hypertension), is when your blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels, is consistently too high.
If you have high blood pressure, you are not alone.
Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. (Many don’t even know they have it.)
The best way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.
High blood pressure is a ‘silent killer.’
Most of the time there are no obvious symptoms but certain physical traits like being overweight and lifestyle choices such as eating an unhealthy diet can put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure.
When left untreated, the damage high blood pressure does to your circulatory system is a significant contributing factor to heart attack, stroke and other health threats.
High blood pressure can be hard to detect on your own.
That’s why it’s important to let a healthcare provider check your levels. Besides heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure can lead to:
- Heart failure
- Kidney disease or failure
- Vision loss
- Sexual dysfunction
- Angina or chest pain
- Peripheral artery disease
Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits can help people lower your risk for heart issues. Consider the below:
- Eat a healthy diet. Contact CareATC and schedule an appointment with a nutrition counselor. Appliance Park / Roper
- Get more physical activity.
- Seek support to quit smoking.
- Maintain a moderate weight or take steps to reach one.
- Find healthy ways to reduce or manage stress.