Watch out for hypertension

Is it time for a blood pressure check?

It only takes a few minutes and it could save your life. Unfortunately, it’s something many Americans tend to ignore.

That’s not a good idea. Doctors tell us that the majority of their patients with high blood pressure, or hypertension, were walking around with it for a while and didn’t know they had it.

“Many of them had no symptoms at all and thought they were doing just fine,” said Dr. David Pinelli.
 “It’s one of the most common health problems in the United States,” he said. “It’s also one of the most dangerous.”

If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

Dr. Pinelli, a board-certified specialist in internal medicine, now serves as Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at McLaren Macomb. He also writes a health-related column for an area newspaper and often reminds people of the importance of healthy habits.

These include regular screenings for issues such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. A simple blood pressure check can be done at a local drug store, clinic or maybe even a church or community health fair.

“Better yet,” Dr. Pinelli said, “if you haven’t seen your physician in the past year, why not make an appointment for a more thorough check-up?”

If you need to find a physician, McLaren Macomb can help. Visit our website at www.mclaren.org/macomb/FindAPhysician or call toll-free at 1-855-466-2527.

Can you tell?

Sometimes there are symptoms with hypertension. These may include headaches, dizziness, vision changes or even chest pain. You should see a doctor right away if you notice any of these problems.
Your doctor will do a simple blood pressure check to determine if there is a problem.
So what’s an ideal number for your blood pressure? This can vary, but doctors like to see a reading of less than 120/80.

There are certain risk factors for hypertension. These include:

• Age – The older we get, the more likely we are to have high blood pressure.
• Race – African Americans have higher incidences of it.
• Family history – if a family member has it, chances are you may too.

Other risk factors include obesity, smoking, too much salt in the diet, and high stress levels.

Can you control it?

There are a multitude of treatments for hypertension.

“Ideally, we should be able to control it by improving our diet, exercise habits and weight loss,” said Dr. Pinelli. “But people don’t always have success with that, so doctors often prescribe medications.”

One of the most common recommendations is the DASH diet. This stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. DASH is a program that encourages you to reduce salt and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients (potassium, calcium and magnesium) that help to lower blood pressure.

Exercise is also a key component in controlling hypertension. Exercise helps you to lose weight and is one of the best ways to reduce stress levels. “I can’t say enough about the importance of building in time in your daily schedule for some kind of exercise,” Dr. Pinelli said.

Finally, stress is also a big contributor to high blood pressure. We can’t always live stress-free lives, but it’s important to talk to your doctor about slowing down and finding some strategies for reducing stress.

The best way to stay healthy is to get plenty of exercise, eat the right foods (lots of vegetables and whole grains, plus limited fats) and in general, try to focus on relaxation and living life at a slower pace.

“In the meantime, don’t forget to get your blood pressure checked,” Dr. Pinelli said. “It could save your life.”

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