DID YOU KNOW?
Nearly one-third of Americans with high blood pressure are undiagnosed.
There are more post menopausal women with high blood pressure than men of the same age with high blood pressure. About 50 million Americans have high blood pressure, and almost half are women.

What is it?
If you have high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), it means your heart must pump harder to circulate blood through your body, which puts your arteries under greater pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease, especially when combined with obesity, smoking, excessive drinking, high cholesterol or diabetes.

Hypertension is often called "the silent killer" because it usually has no symptoms. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked. The recommended level is less than 120/80 mm Hg. A consistent reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered hypertension, while 120-139/80-89 mm Hg indicates pre-hypertension.

What are your options?
There's no cure for high blood pressure, but you can control it. For pre-hypertension, your doctor may as you to lose weight, increase your physical activity, follow a heart-healthy diet low in sodium (less than 2,400 mg a day), limit alcohol, quit smoking and reduce stress. If your blood pressure is above 140/90, your doctor will probably prescribe medication in addition to lifestyle changes.

Learn more about this author, Grace Olivia Nordberg.
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