BLOOD PRESSURE CHART WITH LATEST BLOOD PRESSURE GUIDELINES

Aug 17, 2018 | Healthy Tips

The blood pressure guidelines found in the blood pressure chart further down the page are the 2017 updated blood pressure guidelines as proposed by the American Heart Association and other health organizations.^[1] The blood pressure quiz can be completed before or after reading the article and viewing the blood pressure chart.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the artery walls. It rises during heartbeats and falls in between heartbeats. There are always two pressures expressed in blood pressure ranges, the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure.

Blood pressure ranges are usually written using the systolic blood pressure number before or above the diastolic blood pressure number, for example ,120/80 mmHg. The systolic blood pressure, the 120 as illustrated in the blood pressure chart, is the pressure reading as the heart pumps blood out from the ventricle into the veins. The diastolic blood pressure, the 80 as illustrated in the blood pressure chart, is the resting pressure, which is between beats when the pressure decreases before the next heart pumping action.

High blood pressure is termed hypertension; low blood pressure is hypotension. If there is no obvious cause for hypertension, which is often the case, it is called primary hypertension. Secondary hypertension, the term given to only 5 to 10% of cases, can be caused by a number of factors, amongst them ka idney or heart disease and hardening of the arteries.

What is considered high blood pressure?

Hypertension is according to the latest blood pressure guidelines now defined as a systolic reading of 130 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic reading of 80 mm Hg or higher. This a change from the old blood pressure guidelines for hypertension, which was a systolic reading of 140 mm Hg or higher, and a diastolic reading of 80 mm Hg or higher.

Summary of the latest blood pressure guidelines:

Normal Blood pressure: Under 120/80 mm Hg;

Elevated Blood Pressure: A systolic blood pressure of 120-129 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure under 80 mm Hg;

High Blood Pressure Stage 1: A systolic blood pressure 130-139 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure 80-89 mm Hg;

High Blood Pressure Stage 2: A systolic blood pressure of a minimum of 140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure of a minimum of 90 mm Hg;

Hypertensive Crisis: A systolic blood pressure of more than 180 mm Hg or/and a diastolic blood pressure of more than 120 mm Hg.

Researchers have found that blood pressure changes at 4 phases throughout life: a quick increase throughout adolescent growth; a milder increase early on in adult years; an acceleration in the 40s; and by the age of 50, the normal average blood pressure ranges have increased to 129/85. During a period in late adult years, blood pressure will increase slowly and then reduces.^[2]

The primary causes of blood pressure increasing over a lifetime can be modified and could be focused on to help prevent heart disease: even though high blood pressure often has no obvious symptoms, this condition could lead to life threatening stroke and heart attacks, so a reduction in blood pressure is crucial for health.

According to one study, a decrease as well as an increase in your blood pressure throughout middle age could significantly affect your lifetime cardiovascular disease risk.^[3]

Individuals that maintained or lowered blood pressure to normal blood pressure levels by 55 years old had the lowest lifetime cardiovascular disease risk of between 22% and 41%. In comparison, people who already had high blood pressure by 55 years old had a greater lifetime risk of between 42% and 69%.

Both avoiding high blood pressure throughout middle age or delaying the start of the development of high blood pressure seem to have a significant affect on a person’s remaining lifetime cardiovascular disease risk.

The study also found:

Nearly 70% of all men that get hypertension during middle age will have a cardiovascular disease incident by 85 years old.

Women that get hypertension by earlier middle age have a higher lifetime cardiovascular disease risk of 49.4% than those that have kept normal blood pressure until the age of 55.

Women generally had higher increases in blood pressure throughout middle age.

At an average of 55 years old, 40.8% of women and 25.7% of men had blood pressure levels that were normal; 47.5% of women and 49.4% of men had prehypertension (the 2017 blood pressure guidelines have eliminated the prehypertension category and is now labeled as stage 1 hypertension).

The overall lifetime cardiovascular disease risk for people aged 55 years or more was 39.9% for women and 52.5% for men, after factoring in all blood pressure levels.

The lifetime cardiovascular disease risk was higher among Blacks in comparison to Whites of the same sex, and went up with increasing blood pressure at middle age.

Risks of high blood pressure

1. Brain damage

The brain is dependent upon a nourishing blood supply to function correctly and survive. But hypertension can result in various complications, which includes:

Dementia is a brain disease which results in difficulties with thinking, speaking, reasoning, memory, vision and movement. Vascular dementia can happen from the narrowing and blocking of the arteries supplying the brain’s blood. It can also be a consequence of strokes as a result of a disruption of blood flow to the brain. Either way, hypertension could be the reason.

A stroke is when the deprivation of oxygen and nutrients to the brain takes place, which causes brain cell death. Uncontrolled hypertension can result in stroke by the blood vessels in the brain being damaged and weakened, which causes the blood vessels to narrow, rupture or leak. Hypertension can also contribute to blood clots forming in the arteries, causing blocked blood flow in the brain and possibly leading to a stroke.

2. Eye damage

Blood is supplied to the eyes by small and delicate blood vessels. They can also be damaged by hypertension just like other blood vessels:

Hypertension can damage blood vessels providing blood to the retina, resulting in a condition known as retinopathy. This condition can cause bleeding in the eye, which can lead to blurred vision and total vision loss.

In a condition known as choroidopathy, fluid accumulates below the retina due to a leaky blood vessel. Choroidopathy can lead to distorted vision and in some instances scarring that will impair vision.

In a condition known as optic neuropathy, the optic nerve is damaged by blocked blood flow. It can result in nerve cell death in the eyes, which can lead to bleeding within the eye or loss of vision.

3. Kidney damage

Excess fluid and waste is filtered from the blood by the kidneys, which is a process that is dependent on healthy blood vessels. The blood vessels in the kidneys as well as the blood vessels leading to the kidneys can be damaged when blood pressure is high, resulting in various forms of kidney disease.

When an aneurysm takes place in an artery that leads to the kidney, it’s known as a kidney artery aneurysm. After a while, high blood pressure levels in a weakened artery can result in a section to enlarge and form an aneurysm, a bulge in the blood vessel wall. Aneurysms can rupture and bring about internal bleeding.

Hypertension is one of the most common reasons for kidney failure because the large arteries which lead to the kidneys as well as the tiny blood vessels within the kidneys can be damaged. Kidneys cannot effectively filter waste from the blood if either of them are damaged, and because of this, dangerous fluid and waste levels can accumulate.

4. Heart damage

Uncontrolled hypertension can damage the heart in various ways.

Coronary artery disease has an effect on the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle. Blood does not flow freely through the arteries when they are narrowed as a result of coronary artery disease. A heart attack or irregular heart rhythms can be experienced when blood does not flow freely to the heart.

After a while, the strain on the heart caused by hypertension causes the heart muscle to weaken and work less efficiently. Eventually, the overwhelmed heart simply starts to wear out and results in heart failure.

An enlarged left heart can develop when hypertension forces the heart to work harder than needed to be able to pump blood to the body. This results in the left ventricle thickening or stiffening, which can increase heart attack risk.

5. Bone damage

The amount of calcium in the urine can increase from high blood pressure levels. An excessive elimination of calcium can result in loss of bone density and osteoporosis.^[4]

6. Sexual dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is much more likely to happen in men as they get older if they have hypertension. After a while, hypertension damages the blood vessel lining and will cause the arteries to harden and narrow, which restricts blood flow to the penis. The decrease in blood flow can make achieving and sustaining erections difficult for some men.

Women can also experience sexual dysfunction as a result of hypertension.

Check your blood pressure at home

The new blood pressure guidelines advise that blood pressure be measured regularly and it’s encouraged to make use of a home blood pressure monitor. Here is some advice on how to choose the best blood pressure monitor. The best blood pressure monitor is a blood pressure cuff that fits around the upper arm. Finger and wrist monitors aren’t as accurate. Choose an automated blood pressure cuff with a self-inflating cuff and a large, bright digital readout.

HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

1. Smoke free

Every cigarette smoked raises blood pressure for a significant time after the cigarette is finished. Quitting smoking will help blood pressure go back to normal.

2. Less alcohol

Alcohol in moderation can potentially reduce blood pressure by approximately 4 mm Hg. Moderate alcohol consumption is generally 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women.

Consuming alcohol in excess can however increase blood pressure.

3. Less salt (sodium)

If you have hypertension, the smallest decrease of the sodium in the diet can reduce blood pressure by approximately 5 to 6 mm Hg. Sodium should generally be limited to 2,300 mg a day or less, although a lower sodium intake of 1,500 mg a day or less is better. Eating fewer processed foods will help reduce sodium intake as most sodium is added during processing, with just a little amount of sodium occurring naturally in foods.

4. Healthy weight

Blood pressure typically increases as body weight increases. Being overweight can also result in sleep apnea, which increases blood pressure even more.

One of the best lifestyle changes for managing blood pressure is losing weight. The smallest amount of weight lost if overweight can help reduce blood pressure. Blood pressure can generally be reduced by approximately 1 mm Hg with every kilogram of weight lost.

5. Exercise more

If you already have high blood pressure, then exercising regularly for 150 minutes per week, or about half an hour most days of the week, can reduce blood pressure by approximately 5 to 8 mm Hg. Consistency is important, because blood pressure can go up again if you stop exercising. If blood pressure is elevated, exercise can help prevent hypertension.

Some kinds of aerobic exercise that can help to reduce blood pressure include walking, cycling, swimming or jogging. High-intensity interval training can be very effective for blood pressure reduction. Strength training can also help in reducing blood pressure. Consult your physician about creating an exercise program.

6. Healthy diet

If you have hypertension, blood pressure can be reduced by as much as 11 mm Hg with a diet that’s abundant in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products and low in saturated fats. Potassium in vegetables and fruit can help reduce the effects of sodium on blood pressure.

SHOULD I COUNT CALORIES OR CARBS TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Aug 2, 2018 | Healthy Tips

What Matters Most When Weight Loss Is Your Goal

By Malia Frey |

What is the best way to lose weight? Dieters often get confused about whether they should count calories or carbs to slim down. Much of confusion is the result of the calories vs. sugar debate. Does calorie count matter more or should you reduce sugary carbs for weight loss? And what about fat? To get the answer, it’s important to sort through the nutrition facts.

Counting Calories or Carbs to Lose Weight

To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. That means you need to burn more calories than you consume. In very simple terms, it means that most of us need to eat less and move more. We can burn more calories through exercise or increased daily activity (for example, by boosting your step count) You can also create a deficit if you consume fewer calories each day.  So calories do count.

But your intake of fat, sugar, and carbohydrates can affect the total number of calories you consume each day. That means you should pay attention to those numbers as well.

How Each Affects Your Diet

Here is a brief explanation of how consuming calories in the form of fat, sugar, and carbohydrates can affect your total caloric intake:

Fat.  A single gram of fat provides nine calories of energy. A single gram of carbohydrate or protein only provides four calories. If you eat foods high in fat, your total caloric intake can increase quickly because the calorie cost is so high. But eating a reasonable amount of healthy fat can be smart for your diet.

Fat helps you to feel full and satiated. If you eat a small amount of fatty food, you may feel satisfied sooner and eat less overall. For that reason, foods that contain healthy fats like certain types of fish, nuts or avocado can be a smart addition to your weight loss diet.

Sugar.  Sugar itself isn’t necessarily bad for you. But many of us consume way too much sugar without even knowing it. Sugar is added to many of the processed foods we eat.  Foods like ketchup, salsa or canned soups may contain added sugar even though they aren’t sweet.  And many of the drinks we consume are loaded with sugar. Increased sugar consumption has been linked to serious health consequences such as an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

Aside from the health consequences of consuming too much added sugar, there are diet drawbacks as well. Many experts feel that the more sugar we eat; the more sugar we crave.  So if you can reduce your sugar intake, you may be able to reduce your total caloric intake and lose weight.

Carbohydrates.  At four calories per gram, carbohydrates are a good source of energy for your body.  But overeating refined carbohydrates like white rice and white bread is very easy to do and that habit can drive your calorie count through the roof.  In addition, when you eat low nutrient carbs, those items displace healthier foods—including a protein that can help you feel full and eat less.  If you choose to count carbohydrates to lose weight, make sure that the carbs you keep in your diet are full of important vitamins and minerals like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The Bottom Line

To create a calorie deficit and lose weight, most people find it easiest to count calories. The calorie count is easy to find for most foods and easy to tally with a weight loss app or tracker. Also, your calorie count is what matters in the end if you want to lose weight.

However, as you count calories, it is helpful to look at your balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. If you keep your carb intake within recommended guidelines (50-65% of your total calorie intake) that leaves enough room to eat a healthy amount of protein and fat. By consuming a healthy, balanced diet, you are more likely to provide your body with the fuel it needs to stay active.

SHOULD I COUNT CALORIES OR CARBS TO LOSE WEIGHT?

WAIST SIZE PREDICTS HEART ATTACKS BETTER THAN BMI, ESPECIALLY IN WOMEN

Jul 25, 2018 | Healthy Tips

BY AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS

Women with bigger waists relative to their hips face a higher risk of heart attacks than men with a similar body shape, according to a new study.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that a waist-to-hip ratio measurement may be a better indicator of heart attack risk than body mass index for both men and women.

Previous studies have shown that it’s not just general obesity, but also where fat is stored on the body, that contributes to an increased risk of heart disease. However, past research was unclear on what role gender played in the equation, despite clear differences between men and women in body fat distribution.

For this study, researchers looked for sex-specific links between excess weight, fat distribution, and heart disease risk in nearly half a million men and women ages 40 to 69 in the United Kingdom who had no previous history of heart disease. During seven years of follow-up, 5,710 heart attacks were recorded among participants, with women experiencing a 15 percent higher risk of heart attacks than men with a similar waist-to-hip fat distribution.

“We found that women with bigger waists and waist-to-hip ratios face a greater excess risk of experiencing a heart attack than men who have a similar ‘apple shape,’” said the study’s lead author Sanne Peters, a researcher at the George Institute for Global Health at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

On average, waist circumference among all participants was about 33½ inches in women and about 38¼ inches in men. Women with a waist size greater than 35 inches and men with a waist larger than 40 inches are at higher risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

“More intensive screening for the risk and development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in individuals with an apple shape might help prevent the onset of disease, especially in women,” Peters said.

Goutham Rao, M.D., chair of family medicine and community health at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, said the study provided a new context for how patients and doctors can battle heart disease.

“We know now that women have to be especially careful,” said Rao, lead author of a 2015 scientific statement from the American Heart Association, which recommends that adults have both their waist circumference and BMI measured each year. “We already knew to have a big waist was a risk factor for the general population, but what’s interesting about the study is that women were especially affected by that specific risk.”

“I think this study points to BMI as a flawed measure and offers evidence that we ought to be measuring waist circumference systematically…”

The study also suggests that measuring waistline size and comparing it to hip size might be a better way to predict heart disease risk than the widely used body mass index, which calculates body fat based on height and weight.

“BMI is a measure of general obesity, and it does not discriminate between fat around the hips or the waist,” Peters said. “Yet, compared to fat around the hips, fat around the waist is more metabolically active, is closely related to insulin resistance and may be more strongly associated with the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

“Measures of body fat distribution, including waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio, may be more suitable as indicators for cardiovascular disease risk,” she said.

Rao — who was not involved in the study — agreed, and called for doctors to aggressively seek out “respectful ways to overcome the sensitivity” of measuring patients’ waistlines. Those methods, he said, include doing the measurements in private rooms or letting patients measure their own waistlines with inexpensive digital measuring tapes.

Rao said, “I think this study points to BMI as a flawed measure and offers evidence that we ought to be measuring waist circumference systematically in all of our adult patients at least once a year — not just because it shows certain people they are at high risk, but it might also identify folks that are not at high risk.”

Peters said more research is now needed into the different ways women and men store body fat and how that affects overall health. Rao called for additional research into how waist circumference affects stroke risk, and how it impacts various racial and ethnic groups.

In the meantime, Rao said, the study reinforces the need for both men and women to decrease excess belly fat with a two-pronged approach of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

WAIST SIZE PREDICTS HEART ATTACKS BETTER THAN BMI, ESPECIALLY IN WOMEN

6 WAYS TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE WITHOUT MEDICATION

Jul 21, 2018 | Healthy Tips

By: A. Pawlowski 

Lifestyle changes are the first approach doctors try in patients with hypertension and they can be very effective.

If just reading about blood pressure is raising your blood pressure, a doctor may have mentioned you need to keep your numbers in check.

Chronic high blood pressure — higher than 130/80 — takes a toll on your arteries, heart, kidneys, and brain. Lower it, and you reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Cardiologists say it can absolutely be done without the help of medication. In fact, lifestyle changes are the first approach they often try in patients with hypertension. So what are the best ways to lower your blood pressure without pills? We asked two experts:

• Dr. Ron Blankstein, a preventive cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a member of the American College of Cardiology’s Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Section Leadership Council.
• Dr. Jennifer Haythe, an assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Women’s Center for Cardiovascular Health at the Columbia University Medical Center.

Here are their six tips:

1. WEIGHT LOSS ESSENTIAL

It’s imperative to shed any extra pounds, both doctors said. The rising rate of obesity in the U.S. means doctors are seeing more young people with high blood pressure because it rises as body weight increases. Being overweight puts extra strain on your heart, the American Heart Association noted, but losing just five to 10 pounds may help.

“There are many advantages of weight loss, but certainly that’s one of the most important ones — lowering blood pressure,” Blankstein said.
2. IMPROVE YOUR DIET

There is good evidence plant-based diets high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes will lead to lower blood pressure and weight loss, Blankstein noted. You’ll also naturally get more potassium, which is associated with lower blood pressure.

At the same time, banish processed foods.

“You have to stick to real foods, which are foods that haven’t been taken by a company and processed and put in a box or plastic bag,” Haythe said.

Bottom line: Your weight and eating style should be at the core of your strategy.

“The combination of weight loss and diet together is incredibly powerful for lowering blood pressure. I have patients who have had enormous success doing that,” Blankstein said.

3. LIMIT SALT

We need sodium to live, but too much salt leads the body to hold on to more fluids and that causes volume changes inside blood vessels. Over time, blood pressure rises.

“The problem is, salt is everywhere,” Haythe noted.

“It’s not just the salt that you add with the shaker,” Blankstein added. “Most of the sodium we get in our diet is found in various processed foods — things like canned soups, chips, cold cuts, pickles and even bread.”

He recommended consuming less than 2 grams (2,000 mg) of salt — or less than one teaspoon — a day for people who are trying to lower their blood pressure. That can be very effective, he said.

4. GET ACTIVE

Exercise improves circulation and cardiac output, and has a dilating effect on your blood vessels, Haythe said. It raises blood pressure at the moment, but in an appropriate way, both doctors noted. Long-term, exercise actually lowers your resting blood pressure.

“Our blood vessels learn to relax when we’re not exercising. So the benefits with exercise are not necessarily at the time of exercise, but in general afterward,” Blankstein said.

He advised cardio over weightlifting and considered the general recommendation of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five times a week, to be “the absolute minimum.” An hour of exercise a day on most days of the week is better.

Squeezing in a workout, but then just sitting the rest of the day is still not enough activity: Regularly get up and move, Blankstein said. He recommended aiming for 10,000 steps a day.

5. LIMIT ALCOHOL

Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, so have no more than two drinks a day if you’re a man, and no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman, the American Heart Association advises.

Eliminating alcohol altogether might be useful for someone who already has high blood pressure, Blankstein said.

6. MANAGE STRESS

You can feel your heart working hard if you get angry at work or frustrated in traffic. If you feel that way all the time, the damage accumulates.

“It’s very important for people to try to find ways to reduce their chronic stress, whether they need to go to a therapist, be on medication for that or exercise, do yoga, meditation,” Haythe said.

Stress management can be very helpful, Blankstein agreed. Still, he would never tell patients that managing stress would single-handedly do the job of lowering blood pressure if they’re also overweight or have a poor diet.

BOTTOM LINE:

If you’re not able to lower your blood pressure with lifestyle changes, having to take a medication is not a failure, Blankstein said. Sometimes, the combination of both is the best approach.

If you have high blood pressure, both doctors recommended buying a monitor for home use.

Whether at home or the doctor’s office, blood pressure should be measured the right way: You need to be in a quiet room. Don’t smoke, drink caffeinated beverages or exercise within 30 minutes before taking the measurement. Also, empty your bladder and be still for at least five minutes before, the American Heart Association recommends.

Measure your blood pressure at different times of day and keep a log so you and your doctor can identify any patterns. If the result is high, also include what you were doing just before the measurement.

It’s common to have “white coat hypertension” — or higher blood pressure when you’re nervous at the doctor’s office. “You don’t want to make any decisions based on that high number,” Blankstein said. Ask the staff to measure your blood pressure again at the end of the visit when you’ve had a chance to relax.

6 WAYS TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE WITHOUT MEDICATION