Nearly one in three American adults has hypertension.
Chances are, you know someone
who has hypertension, or high
blood pressure. Nearly one in three
American adults has this condition. It
makes the heart work harder than usual
to pump blood through arteries. This
increases the risk for many health issues,
including heart disease and stroke.
The Silent Killer
Most people with hypertension have
no symptoms. To find out whether you
have it, get your blood pressure checked.
Blood pressure is best, physicians say, at
120/80 mm Hg or lower. High blood
pressure is 140/90 mm Hg and higher.
Lifestyle Choices
Lifestyle factors that may contribute to
high blood pressure include:
- Eating a diet that is high in sodium (salt)
- Being overweight
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Getting too little exercise
- Smoking
Many people with high blood pressure benefit from taking prescription medicines. But medications work best when they are used in addition to healthy lifestyle choices. Your physician can tell you more about the benefits of sticking to your medications—and a healthy plan.
What You Can Do
To help lower your blood
pressure, your physician may
recommend that you:
