Five ways to get your blood pressure under control
Beat by beat, your heart forces blood to circulate through your body to vital organs and tissues, to deliver the oxygen you need for your body to properly function. The process is referred to as your blood pressure and good blood pressure levels are key clinician indicators of good health. Almost 68 million Americans have high blood pressure, which is also called hypertension. This condition increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the first and third leading causes of death in this country, respectively.
It’s National High Blood Pressure Education Month in May and we want to take a moment to look at hypertension and prevention.
Blood pressure is expressed through two numbers, the systolic and diastolic. The systolic, the first number, measures the pressure when your heart beats. The diastolic, the second number, measures the pressure between beats.
Normal:
Systolic: Less than 120 mmHg
Diastolic: less than 80mmHg
Prehypertension (“at risk” blood pressure):
Systolic: 120–139 mmHg
Diastolic: 80–89 mmHg
High:
Systolic: 140 mmHg or higher
Diastolic: 90 mmHg or higher
If you’re concerned about hypertension, here are some tips that may apply to you since about 28% of American adults have prehypertension.
