Breast Cancer Awareness: Know Your Body, Know Your Risk, Take Action
.png?width=100&height=100&name=Headshot%20Circles%20(1).png)
From Milivoj Vojteh, PA
Physician Assistant
If you have high blood pressure, you're far from alone. Nearly 48% of U.S. adults are living with hypertension, a condition that often develops without noticeable symptoms but can significantly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Understanding how to lower your blood pressure through simple, sustainable lifestyle habits is an important step toward protecting your long-term health.
What is Blood Pressure?
The heart pumps blood throughout your body through blood vessels called arteries–the key word: “pumps”. Blood pressure is the force your blood puts on the inside walls of your arteries each time your heart beats. Blood pressure is displayed with two numbers. Commonly seen as 120/80, or 158/92, or 101/62 and so on.
What do these numbers actually represent?
The first number, “120” in “120/80”, represents the systolic pressure in the arteries when your heart is working, or the force created by your heartbeat. The second number “80”, represents the diastolic pressure in the arteries when your heart is resting, or the force between heart beats.
What is considered high blood pressure?
Anything above 120/80 is abnormal, however there are ranges of blood pressure. High blood pressure is called hypertension, and we can monitor it when it becomes elevated, around 30/80, but generally begin treating hypertension with medication if it is greater than 140/90.
The higher and more uncontrolled your blood pressure gets, the higher the chances of developing heart disease or of having a heart attack or stroke. Here's a simple breakdown of blood pressure ranges:
| Blood Pressure Category | Systolic (mm Hg) | Diastolic (mm Hg) |
| Normal | Less than 120 | Less than 80 |
| Elevated | 120-129 | Less than 80 |
| Stage 1 Hypertension | 130-139 | 80-89 |
| Stage 2 Hypertension | 140 or higher | 90 or higher |
Lifestyle Changes to Improve Blood Pressure
- Regular exercise: Staying active, with both strength training and cardio can significantly improve your blood pressure. The more “fit” we are the better our blood pressure will be. We want to complete at minimum 30min of strength training and cardio 3x/week for improvements. Exercise also helps with weight loss, which will also improve blood pressure.
- Reduce stress: Stress is a major component and silent killer. Trying to avoid stress in both work and home will improve blood pressure. Try doing daily breathing techniques to improve stress, or make more time for relaxing activities like listening to music or reading a book.
Food & Diet Impacts on Blood Pressure
What you eat is a major component to blood pressure and can be easily adjusted according to your specific needs and conditions. These are a few of the ways you can impact your blood pressure through food and diet:
- Limit salt intake: Individuals who struggle with elevated blood pressure may benefit from decreasing their intake of sodium.
- Reducing overall calories: This can assist with weight loss, which ultimately improves blood pressure if elevated.
- Avoid deep fried foods: This can also assist in lowering blood pressure by reducing plaque build up in your arteries.
- Drink more water: Staying hydrated impacts blood pressure and helps you feel your best overall.
It's important that you take the time to discuss your blood pressure with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) during your annual physical. These visits allow time to review your current blood pressure and determine next steps, like monitoring it at home and sharing additional resources or support.
If you’ve noticed that your blood pressure is high and you’ve developed other symptoms such as: headaches, lightheadedness, dizziness, please consult your PCP as more testing may be needed. If you need to talk to a provider today, we're here to help!
