March 2005

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, which is why it’s called the silent killer. High blood pressure can result in a heart attack, stroke and/or kidney failure. Most of the time people do not even know they have it unless they have it checked by a healthcare professional. According to recent estimates, one out of every three Americans suffers from high blood pressure.

Let’s first look at what the numbers mean. Blood pressure is recorded as two different numbers. The top number is your systolic number, and the bottom number is the diastolic number. Systolic pressure is generated when the heart pushes the blood out into the bloodstream. Diastolic pressure is the pressure to refill the heart with blood after the systolic phase or when the heart is at rest between heart beats.

BLOOD PRESSURE RANGES AND ACTIONS TAKEN
Blood Pressure Category	Ranges for Most Adults (systolic/diastolic)	Actions Taken after Initial Diagnosis
Optimal Blood Pressure (systolic/diastolic)	Systolic below 120 mm Hg Diastolic below 80 mm Hg	No action.
Normal Blood Pressure	Systolic 120 to 130 mm Hg Diastolic 80 to 85 mm Hg (The upper numbers should be minimum goal for everyone, particularly people with diabetes.)	Rechecked every two years.
High Normal Blood Pressure	Systolic 130 to 139 mm Hg Diastolic 85 to 89 mm Hg	Blood pressure monitored at home and patient should be evaluated for organ damage.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)	Systolic above 140 mm Hg Diastolic above 90 mm Hg (In middle age and older people, systolic pressure above 140 mm Hg suggests higher health risks even when diastolic pressure is normal or low. )
Mild Hypertension (Stage 1)	Systolic 140 to 159 mm Hg Diastolic 90 to 99 mm Hg	Same as high normal. If no organ damage, retesting at least twice a week for several weeks. If organ damage present, start drug therapy.
Moderate Hypertension (Stage 2)	Systolic 160 to 179 mm Hg Diastolic 100 to 109 mm Hg	Same as high normal. If no organ damage, retesting at least twice a week for several weeks. If organ damage present, start drug therapy.
Severe Hypertension (Stage 3)	Systolic 180 to 209 mm Hg Diastolic 110 to 119 mm Hg	Same as high normal. Consider immediate drug therapy regardless of organ damage evidence.
Very Severe Hypertension (Stage 4)	Systolic greater than 210 mm Hg Diastolic greater than 120 mm Hg	Same as high normal. Consider immediate drug therapy regardless of organ damage evidence.
Note: If one measurement is normal and the other elevated, the higher category of either measurement is usually used to determine severity. For example, if systolic pressure is 165 (moderate) and diastolic is 92 (mild), the patient would still be diagnosed with moderate hypertension. It should be strongly noted that a high systolic pressure compared to a normal or low diastolic pressure should be a major focus of concern in most adults. http://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc14.html

What causes high blood pressure?

Our bodies regulate blood pressure through small blood vessels called “arterioles” which widen and constrict, causing pressure to rise and fall. When the arterioles stay constricted, blood pressure rises. Most of the time the reasons for elevated blood pressure can be traced back to the following factors:

How can we help ourselves to keep it under control?

Do what you can to help yourself! If you have elevated blood pressure, keep an eye on it and let your doctor know. Sometimes your doctor will need to prescribe a drug for controlling high blood pressure. Do not put it off! I have seen people in their 30’s die of complications from high blood pressure. It’s nothing to play games with.

If it’s been a while since your blood pressure was tested, let me know. I would be happy to do it here at my office.

Client of the Month

Luke has been coming in for almost one year now. He has done very well! Here are his numbers:

Luke has lost 16.5 pounds. Dropped his body fat from 15.4 to 8.3%, improved his waist to hip ratio (which is a factor in developing heart disease and diabetes). Lowered his resting heart rate from 68 beats per minute to 64 (the lower the better), and increased his overall strength.

What I most admire about Luke is that he rides the RTD bus from Southwest Plaza to come to our office in Westminster. Luke does not have good enough vision to obtain a drivers license. So many people have excuses why they cannot do something, and Luke does it without complaining!! I am proud of Luke and his hard work. I know he will continue to make great strides.