Hypertension

Hypertension is the same thing as high blood pressure (HBP). It does not cause symptoms so please do not think you can tell your blood pressure is high or not high based on the way you feel. The only way you can tell what your blood pressure is normal or not is to put a blood pressure cuff on your arm and measure it. Almost every day someone will tell me they think their blood pressure is high because they can "feel it." Please don't make this mistake.

The risk of high blood pressure is related to the degree and duration of the elevation. That is, if your BP (blood pressure) is 240/140 for a period measured in weeks or months you are at risk for life threatening complications including heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. If your BP is 150/90, you have the same risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure but the it may take years or decades. Our goal is to keep your BP under control and reduce the risk of these catastrophic complications.

Most of the time the tendency to high blood pressure is inherited. If one of your parents has HBP, you have a 50% chance of developing HBP in your lifetime. If both parents have HBP, your risk of developing it is 90%.

If you have HBP, we want to focus on things that you can do and things I can do to help get your BP under control.
These are the things I want you to do:
1. Watch your salt intake. This is the first and foremost step in the management of HBP. This means avoid excessively salty foods - french fries, chips, etc. - and do not add salt to your food once it reaches the table.
2. Watch your weight. Click here to learn more about your ideal weight and what you can do to get there: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm
3. Get regular exercise. The key to an exercise program is doing something you like to do, so figure out what it is, from walking to marathon running, and incorporate it into your life.
4. Show up for your appointments.
5. Don't stop your medicines. HBP is not a problem we can get rid of but it is a problem we can control. Every now and then, a patient will tell me they stopped their medicine since their BP came under control. As soon as they stop the medicine, their BP goes bck out of control. Please do not make this mistake.

This is what you can count on me to do:
1. Evaluate you for unusual causes of HBP.
2. Find medicines that your insurance company likes that you can take.
3. Get your BP to goal which is determined by your history and other risks you may have.

This is the most comprehensive and best reference that you will find on HBP. If you are a serious student of your health options, you will be well served to master the information cited on this site:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_low/hbp_low.pdf