Blood Pressure.

Do you wonder why your doctor takes your blood pressure everytime you go to an appointment? Do you know what your optimum number for blood pressure should be, or even why there always two numbers each time it’s taken? Are both numbers of equal importance?

High blood pressure increases your chance (or risk) for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke. It is especially dangerous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure.

Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. You can prevent and control high blood pressure by taking action. But what is blood pressure?: Blood pressure (BP) is the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as blood moves through arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and veins; the term blood pressure generally refers to arterial pressure, i.e., the pressure in the larger arteries, the blood vessels that take blood away from the heart.

For each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic pressure is peak pressure in the arteries, which occurs near the beginning of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles are contracting. Diastolic pressure is minimum pressure in the arteries, which occurs near the end of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles are filled with blood. An example of normal measured values for a resting, healthy adult human is 115 mmHg systolic and 75 mmHg diastolic (written as 115/75 mmHg, and spoken (in US) as “one fifteen over seventy-five”). Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressures.

Hypotension (low blood pressure):systolic <90 or diastolic <60
Normal: systolic 90-119 and diastolic 60-79
Prehypertension (pre-high blood pressure): systolic 120-139 or diastolic 80-89

High blood pressure can cause congestive heart failure (CHF), kidney failure, blurred or loss of vision, hardening of the arteries, and in the case of very high pressure it can cause a break in a weakened blood vessel, which then bleeds in the brain. This can cause a stroke. If a blood clot blocks one of the narrowed arteries, it can also cause a stroke.

Prevent high blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle. The best prevention is to strive to maintain a healthy weight; stay physically active and follow an exercise plan, even if it is just a 30 minute walk each day; follow a healthy eating plan, and ensure that plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods; reject pre-pakaged products as they are often high in  sodium and focus on choosing and preparing foods with less salt and sodium; and, if you drink alcoholic beverages, enjoy only in moderation. Despite everything you may have heard about red wine and its health benefits, in one study red wine drinkers had a 2.5 increase in their systolic blood pressure. If you are already borderline and at risk of prehypertension this small jump can increase your risk of the negative effects of HBP.

Make an adjustment: Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy!
Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com

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