By Jose C. Vigario, D.O. Special to The Packet
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often referred to as a silent killer: You can feel just fine until it leads to a debilitating health condition such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, eye problems, and kidney disease.
And while you can develop hypertension at any age, your risk increases as you grow older.
In fact, more than half of Americans over age 60 and about three-fourths of those 70 years of age and older have high blood pressure, according to the National Institute on Aging.
When diagnosed, hypertension can be easily treated and managed with lifestyle changes, medication and regular check ups.
Yet because hypertension has no outward symptoms, it often goes undetected until complications occur. To prevent serious health consequences associated with hypertension, be sure to have blood pressure tested regularly, especially as you age.
Put simply, blood pressure is the pressure your blood puts on your artery walls as it flows through the body. A normal amount of pressure is needed to keep your blood circulating smoothly, but too much pressure can damage the arterial walls and cause complications from heart attack and stroke to eye and kidney disease.
When testing your blood pressure, doctors measure the level of pressure when your heart pumps the blood against the vessel walls (systolic pressure, top number) and when your heart relaxes between beats (diastolic pressure, bottom number).
Normal blood pressure is 120 over 80. High blood pressure is normally diagnosed when the top number is more than 140 and the lower number is higher than 90.
Additionally, you may be diagnosed with pre-hypertension if your numbers fall in the range between normal and high.
Frequently in older adults the top number is often 140 or higher, but the bottom number is less than 90. This problem is called isolated systolic hypertension and is the most common form of high blood pressure in seniors.
There are many reasons that your risk for high blood pressure increases as you grow older.
Over time, your blood vessels naturally lose some of their flexibility, which can lead to increased pressure.
Additionally, as you grow older you may start to slow down and may not be as physically active as you were in the past. Diets low in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can also put someone at risk for hypertension.
Moreover, hormonal changes in women can lead to hypertension. Consider that before age 55, men have a greater chance of having high blood pressure, while women are more likely to have high blood pressure after menopause, according to the National Institute of Aging.
Other risk factors for high blood pressure include a high-sodium diet, family history, stress, smoking, sleep apnea, and being overweight or obese
The best step you can take to prevent complications from hypertension is to know your blood pressure. Doctors recommend you have your blood pressure measured at least once a year. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or pre-hypertension, your doctor will likely want to see you every three months to keep tabs on your numbers.
High blood pressure is often easily controlled with medication and lifestyle changes. If your doctor prescribes medication, be sure to take it as directed and alert your physician if you experience any side effects. While medication cannot cure high blood pressure, it is a safe and effective approach to managing the condition.
If you are diagnosed with hypertension, doctors also may recommend a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea, a common cause of high blood pressure.
At University Medical Center at Princeton, overnight sleep studies are performed in a state-of-the art Sleep Center that is fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to diagnose and treat sleep disorders in children and adults.
Treating sleep apnea can also help treat hypertension.
The following tips from the National Institute on Aging can also help manage your blood pressure.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight adds to your risk of high blood pressure.
• Exercise every day. Moderate exercise can lower your risk of high blood pressure. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise plan if you have a long-term health problem or are over 50 and have been inactive.
• Eat a healthy diet. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products may help to lower blood pressure.
• Cut down on salt. Many Americans eat more than they need. Most of the salt comes from processed food (for example, soup and baked goods). A low-salt diet might help lower your blood pressure.
• Drink less alcohol. Most men shouldn’t have more than two drinks a day; most women should not drink more than one drink a day.
• Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.
• Manage stress. People react to stress in different ways. For some, stress can cause blood pressure to go up. Exercise and getting a good night’s sleep can help reduce stress.
Princeton HealthCare System, through its Community Education & Outreach Program, will host a discussion, “Hypertension: The Silent Killer,” from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 21, at the Community Education & Outreach building, 731 Alexander Road, West Windsor. To register for the free session or for more information, visit www.princetonhcs.org/ calendar or call 888-897-8979.
Jose C. Vigario, D.O., is board-certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine and is a member of the medical staff at University Medical Center at Princeton.
