The weekly Prescriptions for Health column is part of an ongoing community health education effort by Franklin Memorial Hospital to provide information on an important health topic by its medical staff, with support from intern Sam Bennett, a junior at the University of Maine at Farmington majoring in biology and creative writing.
By Beth Hartsock, ANP, FNP
You may not be familiar with hypertension, but no doubt you’ve heard of its more common name–high blood pressure (BP). You know that it’s something to be avoided, but do you know why you should manage your blood pressure, or how?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in every three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure, but only half of all hypertension patients have their condition under control, and only one in five are aware they have it in the first place. If left unchecked, hypertension can lead to serious problems. The CDC says that 7 in 10 heart attacks and 8 in 10 strokes occur in people with high blood pressure. Luckily, hypertension can be detected easily, giving your doctor plenty of time to come up with a plan that best addresses and manages your needs.
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The first number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart rests between beats. According to the CDC, normal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, or 120 over 80. High blood pressure is more than 140 over 90.
You may have recently heard national news about scientists at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute announcing the results from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). The large study began in 2009 and divided participants into two groups: People in one group received two drugs, on average, to lower blood pressure to 140 or below. People in the other group received an average of three drugs to lower blood pressure to 120 or below. Compared with the higher blood pressure target group, participants in the lower blood pressure group dramatically cut their risk of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths compared to currently recommended blood pressure targets. This study was stopped early because the results were so clear and positive, so stay tuned to see if these findings will alter currently recommended BP targets.
In some cases hypertension can develop from other health conditions, such as kidney and thyroid problems or alcohol abuse, or as a side effect of certain medications. In most cases, however, hypertension develops gradually and without warning over the course of several years. There may be a genetic factor that underlies high blood pressure. If your parents had high blood pressure there is a greater chance that you will develop it too.
Even though we can’t do anything about our genetics, there are certain factors that increase the risk of higher blood pressure and can be avoided. In both men and women, the risk of hypertension increases with age. The risk also goes up if you’re physically inactive, overweight, stressed, or if you smoke. Eating too much salt also may increase the risk of hypertension. Limiting these factors in your life can reduce the risk of hypertension. Your doctor may recommend reducing salt intake, quitting smoking, and weight loss as first steps in controlling high blood pressure. There are many effective medications for treating hypertension if these first steps fail.
Not only can hypertension creep up on you without symptoms showing up, in many cases patients notice no major changes in their health even if their blood pressure gets dangerously high. Some patients experience headaches, nosebleeds, or shortness of breath, but there’s no specific list of symptoms for high blood pressure. Therefore, the best way to detect whether or not you have hypertension is to see what your numbers are when you get your blood pressure checked during your next doctor’s visit. You can also find blood pressure machines in some pharmacies and grocery stores, which are free to use.
In conclusion, since one in five people are not aware they have high blood pressure in the first place, improving that situation may be more important than having new numbers as a target. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to detect and treat.
Beth Hartsock is board certified as an adult nurse practitioner and as a family nurse practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She works with Drs. Cordner, Labul, Lackoff, and Miller in staffing Franklin Memorial’s hospitalist (inpatient) service. Hartsock received her master’s degree in the adult nurse practitioner program from Simmons College in Boston. She later received a post-master’s family certificate from the University of Southern Maine. She is currently enrolled in the Simmons College doctor of nursing practice program.
