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Hypertension
Cardio Vascular Disease • Diabetes • Hypertension 1 in 4 Americans has high blood pressure! If undetected and untreated, this common condition can cause serious damage to vital organs of the body: the heart, the brain, and the kidneys. Having high-blood pressure or hypertension puts you at increased risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease. Talk to your doctor if you think you might have undiagnosed hypertension.What is High Blood Pressure? • Blood pressure measures the force of blood being pumped from the heart against the walls of the arteries. • For a variety of reasons, the arteries may become narrowed. The same amount of blood must now flow through a narrower vessel, and this increases the amount of pressure on the arterial walls. The result is high blood pressure, or hypertension. • Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness and/or kidney failure. Who Can Get High Blood Pressure? • Anyone! Although the condition is much more common in adults, even children can get high blood pressure. • People at higher risk include those who: - are overweight - smoke cigarettes - have a family history of hypertension - are 50 years or older - are African American. High blood pressure affects 1 out of every 3 African American adults. - have kidney diseases How does High Blood Pressure Affect Your Kidneys? Kidney disease can cause high blood pressure, and high blood pressure can also cause kidney problems. • High blood pressure causes the arteries to thicken and narrow. This reduces blood flow to the kidneys, and can cause destruction of the nephrons - the tiny filtering units in the kidneys. • Kidney problems caused by hypertension may result in kidney failure, which can lead to death unless treated. How Can You Prevent and/or Manage High Blood Pressure? • Have your blood pressure checked regularly by a health care professional. • If your blood pressure is over 140/90, consult with your physician. • If your physician prescribes high blood pressure medication, be sure to take it as prescribed. • Follow recommended lifestyle guidelines, such as: o Quitting smoking o Reducing salt intake o Maintaining a healthy body weight o Reducing the amount of fat and cholesterol in your diet o Learning to manage the stress in your life in a healthy way o Exercising regularly |
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