Download Blood Pressure and Your Health When was the last time your blood

Blood Pressure and Your Health
When was the last time your blood pressure was assessed at rest or during physical activity? Your blood
pressure reveals many critical factors about your overall health and level of fitness. In fact, your resting
blood pressure is a direct impact upon your risk for heart disease or stroke. High blood pressure
(hypertension) at rest is the most common form of cardiovascular disease, affecting some one third of
Americans over age 20.1 Since there are few signs or symptoms of having hypertension, many don’t
even know they have it. It is often referred to as the ‘silent killer.’
What is blood pressure?
Your heart is comprised of muscle (cardiac muscle) and, much like your skeletal muscle, contracts to
create force. Of the four chambers of the heart, the lower chamber, specifically the left one, is most
crucial to create pressure to eject blood into the blood vessels called arteries. This left ventricle is the
thickest and the strongest of the chambers, since its primary role is to create enough pressure to
circulate blood throughout the body.
Why is pressure necessary?
The heart creates pressure to deliver blood rich in oxygen and other nutrients to all tissues of the body,
including muscles. Oxygen and nutrients are necessary for tissue to thrive, and during physical activity
the demand increases. Without pressure, our blood would remain stagnant inside our vessels.
Why is high blood pressure risky to my health?
Chronic elevated blood pressure puts undue stress on the interior walls of the blood vessels. This leads
to the vessels becoming thicker and less able to dilate or constrict, as needed by the body. The smallest
vessels, capillaries, may be affected the most by hypertension. The heart, kidneys, and eyes can be
damaged. Remember that your heart too, has blood vessels, serving the heart muscle with oxygen and
nutrients. With restricted vessels, the heart works harder and becomes enlarged.
How is it measured?
Your blood pressure can be assessed, usually at rest, by most health care professionals. It is recorded as
a top number and a bottom number, written as a fraction. The top number is the systolic pressure while
the bottom number is referred to as the diastolic pressure. The contraction of the heart generates the
systolic pressure. When the heart is not contracted, in between beats, there is still an amount of force
left in the arteries. This is called the diastolic pressure. Typically for a diagnosis of hypertension to be
made, at least two resting assessments are used, and both must be high. Many health care professionals
agree that the diastolic pressure at rest is the best indicator of your health, since this is when the
pressure inside your arteries should be at the lowest.
1
High Blood Pressure, Conditions. (2017, March 21). Retrieved from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Pressure-orHypertension_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp
What affects my pressure?
Having hypertension relates directly back to lifestyle choices. Hereditary factors may play a role.
However, most of those with hypertension can manage it by changing their behavior.







Maintain an ideal body weight according to your height
Exercise regularly
Reduce consumption of processed foods
Reduce salt intake
Manage stress
Conduct pressure assessments regularly
Be compliant if on blood pressure medication
Categories of blood pressure
Blood Pressure
Systolic
Diastolic
Category
mm Hg (upper #)
mm Hg (lower #)
Normal
less than 120 and less than 80
Prehypertension
120 – 139
or
80 – 89
High Blood Pressure
140 – 159
or
90 – 99
(Hypertension) Stage 1
High Blood Pressure
160 or higher or 100 or higher
(Hypertension) Stage 2
Hypertensive Crisis
Higher than 180 or Higher than 110
(Emergency care needed)
Keep an eye on your blood pressure! This vital sign is an excellent indicator of your over health and is
directly affected by your lifestyle choices including that of regular exercise and proper nutrition.
Rick Leitner, MS, is an in-home therapeutic exercise physiologist/personal trainer, with extensive education and experience.
He specializes in those with some medical limitation(s). Call Rick for an appointment at 954.290.6701
www.LeitnerTraining.com