HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: SERIES II

 

About High blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is called diastolic pressure. Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers. Usually the systolic number comes before or above the diastolic number. A reading of119/79 or lower is normal blood pressure140/90 or higher is high blood pressure Between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number is called prehypertension.

Prehypertension means you may end up with high blood pressure, unless you take steps to prevent it.High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines, if needed. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Are there other issues with high blood pressure medication?

It can be hard to predict which drugs will work for you, but we know some are less effective in older people or those of African Caribbean background. Most people will need more than one drug to control their blood pressure.

It is estimated that more than half of patients do not take their medications as prescribed. This contributes to poor blood pressure control and increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

Part of the problem is that with hypertension, the condition itself usually does not cause symptoms that remind you to take medications. Asking your doctor for once-a-day tablets and building it into your daily routine can help. A dosette box (pill box with compartments for each day, and times of the day if necessary) may help. You can get them at most pharmacies