Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, afflicts around 65 million Americans according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Normal blood pressure is considered anything under 120/80 mmHg. If your blood pressure runs 140/90 or greater on two or more medically documented occasions, then you have hypertension. If you already have hypertension, it can be controlled through medicine, diet and regular exercise.
Risk Factors
Developing hypertension usually involves one or more risk factors, although sometimes you can develop hypertension with no risk factors at all. According to the American Heart Association, these risk factors include family history, gender (male), age, being sedentary, consuming a high-salt diet and being overweight or obese. Other contributing factors include stress, smoking and consuming high amounts of alcohol.
Biology
High blood pressure is the result of too much force being pushed onto the artery walls. The top number of a blood pressure reading is called systolic blood pressure. It is the measurement of how much pressure is pushed on the artery walls when the heart contracts and pushes blood to the rest of the body. The bottom number is called diastolic blood pressure; this reads how much pressure is on the artery walls when the heart rests or is in between beats.
Significance
Uncontrolled high blood pressure puts essential organs in your body under extreme stress, which can develop into very serious, irreversible, life-threatening diseases. These can include cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease and stroke.
Medications
Doctors may prescribe medications to help control blood pressure, which can include beta-blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors. The purpose of these medications is to reduce pressure in the artery walls. For example, diuretics get rid of excess fluid in the system, therefore putting less pressure on the organs and artery walls. Once started on medicinal treatment, do not abruptly stop until you talk with your doctor.
Lifestyle Changes
Practicing healthy lifestyle habits can help control high blood pressure as well. Incorporating consistent aerobic exercise helps keep blood vessels soft and flexible and keeps excess cholesterol and plaque from forming on the vessel walls. Eating a healthy, low-fat, low-sodium, and high-fiber diet works similarly to combat the onset or progression of hypertension. Other lifestyle modifications to adopt include reducing stress, quitting smoking and limiting the amount of alcohol consumed.
References
- American Heart Association: Understand Your Risk for Developing HBP
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription; Eighth Edition"; ACSM; 2009
