YOUR HEART AND CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS

The heart, blood vessels, and blood comprise your cardiovascular system. Blood moving from heart delivers oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body. On the return trip, the blood picks up waste products so that your body can get rid of them.

Your heart is a muscle about the size of a clenched fist. It contracts and relaxes about 70 times a minute at rest (more if you are exercising), beats about 30,000,000 times a year, and pumps about 4,000 gallons of blood daily through its chambers to all parts of the body. Your blood travels through a rubbery collection of big and small vessels. If strung together end to end, they can stretch 60,000 miles (enough to circle the globe 2 1/2 times)!

As you inhale, air is sent down to your lungs. Blood is pumped from the heart through the pulmonary artery to your lungs where carbon dioxide is removed from it and oxygen is mixed in with it. The oxygenated blood is carried back to the heart through the pulmonary vein. The arteries carry blood away from your heart under high pressure to smaller and smaller branched tubes called capillaries. This delivers oxygen to all the cells in your body including bones, skin, and all organs. Veins bring oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart.

Your blood is mostly comprised of a colorless liquid called plasma. Red blood cells (which give blood its red appearance) deliver oxygen to cells and carry back waste gases in exchange. White blood cells attack and kill germs and Platelets cells help your body repair itself after injury.

Your cardiovascular system is a beautiful symphony which sustains your life. Often it is taken for granted and little is done to ensure its long-term performance. Lack of preventive care will transform your cardiovascular system into a time bomb.

Cardiovascular DisordersIn 2004, cardiovascular diseases claimed 869,724 lives in the United States (36.3% of all deaths). The pattern is same globally. According to 2005 estimates from the American Heart Association, 80,700,000 people in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (this trend is not different in other parts of the globe:

1) High Blood Pressure - 73,000,000

• High blood pressure puts added force against the artery walls which overtime damages the arteries making them more vulnerable to the narrowing and plaque build up associated with atherosclerosis.

2) Coronary Heart Disease (caused by atherosclerosis, the narrowing of the coronary arteries due to fatty buildups of plaque which blocks the flow of blood to heart muscle thus depriving the heart of oxygen. It is likely to cause Chest Pain and / or Heart Attack) - 16,000,000

• Myocardial Infraction (acute heart attack occurs when a clot or spasm blocks an already narrowed coronary artery, restricting oxygen to a portion of heart muscle resulting in permanent injury) - 8,100,000
• Angina Pectoris (chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle) - 9,100,000

An estimated 1,200,000 Americans will have a new or recurrent coronary attack this year, and about 310,000 will die as a result.

3) Stroke (occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts) - 5,800,000

• Without blood and the oxygen it carries, part of the brain starts to die and the part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain won't work properly.
• Brain damage can begin within minutes of a stroke.

4) Heart Failure (the heart does not pump as well as it should) - 5,300,000

• About 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year.
• It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65.

5) Arrhythmia (Abnormal Heart Rhythm) - more than 850,000 Americans are hospitalized for an Arrhythmia each year. It is caused by many factors including:

• Coronary Heart Disease
• Electrolyte imbalance in your blood (such as sodium or potassium)
• Changes in your heart muscle
• Injury from a heart attack
• Healing process after heart surgery

6) Aortic Aneurysm (bulge in a section of the aorta which can burst causing serious bleeding which can lead to death within minutes) - approximately 176,000 Americans are affected annually leading to 15,000 deaths per year.

• Medical problems such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis weakening artery walls as well as wear and tear that occurs with aging can result in outward bulging of the aortic wall.
• The slower flow of blood in the bulging area can cause clots to form. If a blood clots breaks off in the chest area, it can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. If blood clots break off in the belly area, they can block blood flow to the belly or legs.

Risk FactorsAs of 2006, 51% of men and 40% of women at age 50 in the United States will develop cardiovascular disease during their lifetime. The primary determinants of risk are:

• Smoking - Smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2–4 times that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease.
• High Cholesterol - As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of coronary heart disease. When other risk factors (such as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke) are present, this risk increases even more. A person's cholesterol level is also affected by age, sex, heredity and diet.
• High Blood Pressure - High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases several times.
• Physical Inactivity - An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure.
• Obesity / Excess Weight - People who have excess body fat (especially if a lot of it is on the waist) are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. Diabetes is more likely to develop. By losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk.
• Diabetes Mellitus - Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled.
Roughly 67% of men and 57% of women with diabetes at age 50 will develop cardiovascular disease by age 75. About three-quarters of diabetics die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, it's extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.
• Stress - Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, their health behavior, and socioeconomic status. These factors may affect established risk factors. For example, people under stress tend to overeat, smoke more, and increase alcohol consumption.
• Alcohol - Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure, and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, and produce irregular heartbeat. It contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide, and accidents. However the risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. One drink is defined as 1-1/2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine or 12 fl oz of beer. It is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink to lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you reach the age of 50 with none of the above risk factors, the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease is just 5% for men and 8% for women. There is a good chance the you will live into your 90s.

If the age of 50 is reached with two or more risk factors, then lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease jumps to 69% for men and 50% for women. The median survival rate for men and women with two risk factors is a decade shorter than the ones with none.

Symptoms
The following symptoms are indicative of various cardiovascular diseases:

• A "cold foot" or a black or blue painful toe - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
• A pulsating sensation in the abdomen - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
• Back pain - Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
• Blood in the urine - High Blood Pressure
• Cough or shortness of breath - Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
• Cough that produces white mucus - Heart Failure
• Deep and aching or throbbing chest pain - Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
• Difficulty or pain while swallowing - Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
• Discomfort in shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw, or back - Angina
• Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm - Heart Attack
• Discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing, or painful feeling in chest (it might be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn) - Angina, Heart Attack, Arrhythmias, Heart Failure, High Blood Pressure
• Extreme drop in blood pressure - Burst Aortic Aneurysm
• Faster Heartbeat - Heart Attack
• Fatigue or Confusion - High Blood Pressure, Stroke
• Fever or weight loss - Abdominal or Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
• Hoarseness - Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
• Numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, typically on one side of the body - Stroke
• Pain in the chest, abdomen, or lower back, possibly spreading to the groin, buttocks, or legs - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
• Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats or a "flip-flop" feeling in your chest, or feeling that heart is "running away") - Heart Attack, Arrhythmias, Heart Failure, High Blood Pressure
• Pounding in your chest - Arrhythmias
• Quick Weight Gain (for example 2 or 3 pounds in one day) - Heart Failure
• Severe Headache - High Blood Pressure, Stroke
• Shortness of breath when lying down flat in bed - Heart Failure
• Slurred or garbled speech - Stroke
• Sudden, severe pain - Burst Aortic Aneurysm
• Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness - Heart Attack, Heart Failure
• Swelling in ankles, legs, and abdomen - Heart Failure
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination - Stroke
• Vision Problems - High Blood Pressure, Stroke
• Weakness, dizziness, anxiety, shortness of breath - Heart Attack, Arrhythmias, Heart Failure, High Blood Pressure

The symptoms related to High Blood Pressure are for extremely high cases. Generally High Blood Pressure has no symptoms.

Recommendations
You can optimize your long-term cardiovascular health by:
1) Reversing Damage - Years of stressful living caused damage to your cardiovascular system. To help reverse this, use medication to improve blood circulation, normalize lipid metabolism, regulate cholesterol and triglyceride levels, stimulate liver functions, reduce platelet aggregation, strengthen blood vessels, minimize heart stress, energize heart tissue, and avert hypertension.
2) Avoiding Saturated Fat - Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol. Foods to avoid include beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, milk, cheeses, whole dairy products, two percent milk, coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, tropical oils, and cocoa butter.
3) Avoiding Hydrogenated Fat - Hydrogenated fats raise blood cholesterol. Foods to avoid include margarine and shortening.
4) Avoiding Trans-Fatty Acids - Trans-fatty Acids raise blood cholesterol. Foods to avoid include french fries, doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies, and cakes.
5) Consuming Unsaturated Fats - Getting between 25% to 35% of your calories from unsaturated fats will help lower your blood cholesterol level. Foods to consume include salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts, and liquid vegetable oils (soybean, corn, safflower, canola, and sunflower).
6) Reducing Sugar Intake - Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars to lower your calorie intake and help control your weight. Examples of added sugars are sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrups, high-fructose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, and honey.
7) Minimizing Salt Intake - Foods low in salt lower your risk of high blood pressure. Strive to consume less than 1,500 mg of salt daily. Choose "reduced-sodium" processed foods and limit soy sauce, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, flavored seasoning salts, pickles, and olives. Use lemon juice, citrus zest, and hot chilies instead for flavoring. Rinse canned tuna and salmon, feta cheese, and capers to remove excess sodium.
8) Increasing Fiber Intake - When eaten regularly as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, soluble fiber helps to lower blood cholesterol and may also reduce the risk of diabetes and colon and rectal cancers. For every 1,000 calories in your diet, 14 grams of fiber (in both soluble and insoluble forms) should be eaten. Foods high in soluble fibers includes oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries, and apple pulp. Foods high in insoluble fibers include whole-wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower, and apple skin. Replace low-fiber foods (white bread, white rice, candy and chips) with fiber-rich foods (whole-grain bread, brown rice, fruits and vegetables). Eat more raw vegetables and fresh fruits. Eat high-fiber foods at every meal.
9) Drinking Water - Drink six to eight 8-oz glasses of water a day to ensure fiber in the diet is properly digested and fat loss is optimized.
10) Exercising Daily - A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day will help you maintain optimal weight, keep off weight you lose, and improve physical and cardiovascular fitness.
11) Not Smoking - Cigarette smokers are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from coronary heart disease than non-smokers.
12) Consuming Alcohol in Moderation - Drinking too much alcohol can raise triglyceride levels in your blood and also lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, and increase calorie intake (which can lead to obesity and diabetes). Excessive drinking can also cause stroke, caridomyropathy, cardiac arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death.
GoalsThe American Heart Association recommends the following for optimal cardiovascular health:

• Total Cholesterol less than 200
• LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol less than 160 for people who are at low risk for heart disease
• LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol less than 130 for people who are at intermediate risk for heart disease
• LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol less than 100 for people who are at high risk for heart disease
• LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol less than 70 for people who are at very high risk for heart disease
• HDL ("Good") Cholesterol 50 or higher for women
• HDL ("Good") Cholesterol 40 or higher for men
• Triglycerides less than 150
• Blood Pressure less than 120 / 80
• Fasting Glucose less than 100
• Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 25
• Waist Circumference less than 35 inches for women
• Waist Circumference less than 40 inches for men
• Exercise minimum of 30 minutes most days, if not all days of the week
• Eat at least 5 daily servings of fruit and vegetables, 6 daily servings of grain products, 2 weekly servings of oily fish, 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day
• Limit intake of saturated fat and trans fat to less than 10 percent of total calories
• Choose fats and oils with 2 grams or less saturated fat per tablespoon
• Limit salt intake to less than 6 grams per day (slightly less than one teaspoon)
• Limit alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men
• Balance the number of calories you eat with the number you use each day
• Eliminate all tobacco products and exposure to second hand smoke

This article was compile with resources from Cordiofy website.

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HOW TO BE THE "ULTIMATE" PARENT

We all know what a bad parent looks like: intolerant,
constantly critical, more interested in their own affairs
(in both senses of the word) than in the needs of their
children. But what does it take to be a good parent? What
does it take to give your children the very best start to
life that you possibly can?

In the 1960's John Bowlby did a lot of work looking into the
effects of parenting on children. In those days he coined
the term "good-enough parenting". His thesis was that
provided you avoided the sins of "bad" parenting, you were
doing okay, and your children, with their own natural
resilience, would also do okay.

So is that all there is to it? Or are there things that
you, as a parent, can do to be more than just a "good
enough" parent. Can you, indeed, be a "super parent", even
the "ultimate" parent? Or is that just a myth of the
feminist movement?

Well, let's get one thing straight once and for all: No one
is perfect. Try as you might, you will never be a "perfect"
parent. You will never get it right every moment of every
day for every year of your children's growing lives. Nor do
you need to. In that sense, Bowlby's concept of "good
enough" is very true. You do not need to be perfect. Your
kids WILL survive. "Good enough" is good enough

But, I suspect that you probably want more for your kids
than just average. I strongly believe that there are things
you can do, and attitudes you can adopt, that will give your
children the very best start to life they could possibly
have. And, at the same time, will actually make life easier
and more fulfilling for yourself too. It is not a long
list, but if you can manage the following, then I believe
you have every right to call yourself the "ultimate" parent:

1) Recognize you are human. You cannot do everything, you
cannot be everywhere, you cannot know everything. You will
make mistakes. You also have your own issues, problems and
hang-ups from your own past. That is all okay. The key to
this game is not being perfect, but having the right
attitude.

What is the right attitude? Being humble. Recognising that
you have much to learn (we all do) and being willing to be
teachable and to learn from your mistakes. A sign of
genuine maturity is being able to look back at your past,
recognize the mistakes you made, and say "this is what I
have learnt about myself, and what I need to work on
changing about myself".

But there is a flip side to this. Constantly putting
yourself down with an "I'm no good" attitude is just as bad
as the "I have nothing to learn" attitude. Forgive yourself
for your mistakes. Celebrate your successes. Look back to
the past only long enough to learn from it, then set your
sights forward, and press on in the directions YOU want to
go. If you have any serious issues from the past, be brave
enough to seek help and get over them.

2) Recognize you are playing a percentage game. We have all
heard of them: the kids from the most abusive, deprived
backgrounds who somehow manage to make huge successes of
themselves. And the kids from the very best of families (as
demonstrated by their siblings) who somehow go off the rails
into drugs and crime.

The reality is that you, the parent, are only one factor in
your children's upbringing. They are also subject to
influence from friends, other relatives, teachers, shop
keepers, TV, magazines and, of course, their own genetic
makeup.

You cannot control all the variables. You might be the very
best, the ultimate parent, and yet your kids turn out as
failures. You might be the very worst, alcoholic and
abusive parent, and yet your kids do fine. Nothing in life
is guaranteed.

So you play the percentages. You know that if you beat your
kids, they are more likely to turn out bad than good. So,
on average, beating your kids is probably not a good idea.
Using fair and consistent discipline probably produces
better odds for a successful outcome - so do that instead.

Your success as a parent is NOT determined by how well your
children turn out. It IS determined by whether you did all
you reasonably could to do the right things and make the
right decisions for them, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE YOU HAD AT THE
TIME. Maybe those decisions turn out to be the wrong ones.
So be it. That does not mean you failed as a parent. But,
if you were too lazy to get the facts, if you just took the
easiest decision without thinking about the impact on your
children, then, I believe, you have failed - even if it
turns out that the decision was the right one!

3) Recognize your children are not the only things in your
life. In this day and age we seem to be obsessed with the
idea that the interests of the children come first, before
anything else. I strongly disagree with that concept. Yes,
we must consider the best interests of the child, but there
are other things to consider too.

It may be, for instance, that taking a new job in a
different city might be the best thing for your family -
even if it means taking your child away from his school and
friends.

By putting children first in everything we run the danger of
creating a selfish, "me first" generation where they grow up
believing that the world owes them a living. Sometimes
children have to take second place - and that in itself is
an important lesson about life. Yes, before making any
decision consider its impact on the children. But, in the
end, make up your own mind as to what would be best for the
family as a whole.

4) Look to the long term. Raising children is a long drawn-
out process. Have your long-term goals in mind. How do you
want them to turn out as adults? What qualities and skills
do they need to learn? What experiences do they need along
the way, to learn those skills and character traits?

Many times as parents we are faced with the choice of taking
an easy, short-term quick fix, or a harder approach that
will bear much more fruit in the long term. The TV is such
a classic example of this. How easy is it, when the kids
are playing up, to just switch on the TV as the electronic
babysitter? A quick fix for the immediate hassle or rowdy
kids. But how much better, in the long run, to spend a bit
of time teaching them how to build a model, or sew a soft
toy, or put together a jigsaw?

Call me a Luddite, if you will, but if you really want to be
the ultimate parent I believe the very best thing you could
do would be to sell the TV! Go out to the cinema as a
family, instead. Or go around to your friends or relatives
to watch a movie together as an "event". But don't just
have the TV on for hours every day.

Why? Because of the old saying "garbage in, garbage out".
Is the stuff on TV really what you want your kids to be
absorbing and learning? Do you really want them to depend
on passive entertainment? Is it not better that they learn
how to entertain themselves?

4) Look for the positives. Like you, your children will
make mistakes. Forgive them. Correct them gently and move
on. Always be looking for what they did right, not what
they did wrong. Children crave their parents' attention.
Pay attention to what they do wrong, and they will do more
of it. Pay attention to what they do right, and they will
be eager to please your more.

Besides, it is just so much more fun to be in reward mode
than punishment mode.

Finding yourself stuck in punishment mode? Then go back to
Key 1, recognize you need to change something, and have the
humility to go and get a good book, or seek help, so that
you can find the way out.

5) Stick to your guns. Believe in yourself. If you are
doing all the above, then you are well on the right track.
There will be times when you make decisions and you get
challenged on them, either by your children, or by others
(such as interfering relatives). Unless there genuinely are
new facts that you weren't aware of before, don't be
swayed.

And don't be afraid to say no - to your children and your
relatives - if that is the right thing to say.

Sure, your decision may turn out to be a bad one. That
happens. Hindsight is 20-20. But far better to stick to
your decision than to be a plastic bag blowing about in the
breeze. You children are watching you; watching how you
deal with life, how you make decisions, how you cope with
adversity, how you believe in yourself and stand up for
yourself and your family. Be a good example for them.

By Dr. Noel Swanson


Dr. Noel Swanson, Consultant Child Psychiatrist and author
of "The GOOD CHILD Guide", specializes in children's
behavioral difficulties and writes a free newsletter for
parents. He can be contacted through his website:
www.good-child-guide.com.

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TIPS FOR A HEALTHY LIVING

Technology has been of great assistance to man, infact life of today has become more of press button than it was some years back. This technological age has inadvertently created a culture of physical inactivity for most people. No wonder the alarming increase in privileged ailment like heart desease, diabetes etc. It is therefore imperative we consciously engage ourselves in physical activities to stay fit and healthy.

Physical Activity and Exercise

Benefits of Regular Exercise:

• Regular exercise can prevent and reverse age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength, improve balance, flexibility, and endurance, and decrease the risk of falls in the elderly. Regular exercise can help prevent coronary heart desease, strokem, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Regular, weight-bearing exercise can also help prevent osteoporosis by building bone strength.
• Regular exercise can help chronic arthritis sufferers improve their capacity to perform daily activities such as driving, climbing stairs, and opening jars.
• Regular exercise can help increase self-esteem and self-confidence, decrease stress and anxiety, enhance mood, and improve general mental health.
• Regular exercise can help control weight gain.

Consequences of Physical Inactivity and Lack of Exercise:

• Physical inactivity and lack of exercise are associated with heart disease and some cancers.
• Physical inactivity and lack of exercise are associated with Type II diabetes mellitus (also known as maturity or adult, non-insulin dependent diabetes).
• Physical inactivity and lack of exercise contribute to weight gain.

Exercise Recommendations:

• 30 minutes of modest exercise (walkinf is OK) at least three to five days a week is recommended. But, the greatest health benefits come from exercising most days of the week.
• Exercise can be broken up into smaller 10-minute sessions.
• Start slowly and progress gradually to avoid injury or excessive soreness or fatigue. Over time, build up to 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day.
• People are never too old to start exercising. Even frail, elderly individuals (ages 70-90 years) can improve their strength and balance.

Exercise Precautions:

Individuals can begin moderate exercise, such as walking, without a medical examination. The following persons, however, should consult a doctor before beginning more vigorous exercise:

• Men over age 40 or women over age 50.
• Individuals with heart or lung disease, asthma, arthritis, or osteoporosis.

Individuals who experience chest pressure or pain with exertion, or who develop fatigue or shortness of breathe easily.

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THE BIGGEST HEALTH DANGER TO MEN

Do you know that thirty minutes of exercise a day can significantly lower your risk of a major disease.

A lot of people have a potentially life-threatening disease—and a significant proportion don't even know it. According to new studies on heart, Lung, and blood from various groups and institutions, more adults than ever have high blood pressure. In fact, it is now the leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke worldwide. And here's the scariest part: Because it doesn’t usually cause symptoms, by the time some people realize they have high blood pressure (a.k.a. hypertension), it already may have caused significant damage in the form of heart disease, stroke, vision or kidney problems, or, in men, erectile dysfunction.
Men are most at risk to go untreated, according to a recent study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Young to middle-aged men are the most likely to be unaware of the problem, since many don't go to a doctor unless they feel sick. "Because it's not associated with any specific symptoms early in its course, high blood pressure is not something that typically takes someone to a physician’s office," says Dr. Daniel W. Jones, a former president of the American Heart Association and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi. "It just doesn’t get your attention." But it should. There's a reason high blood pressure is called "the silent killer."

Lower Your Risk
As people live longer, their risk of developing hypertension (defined as blood pressure of 140/90 or higher) increases, particularly after age 45. "Overweight and obesity are a big part of the increasing prevalence," says Dr. Jeffrey Cutler, a consultant to the NHLBI and National Institutes of Health (NIH). "The increasing consumption of salt in our diets may be a factor too, because obesity raises a person’s sensitivity to the blood-pressure-raising effects of salt." There are steps you can take to reduce your risk, though, no matter what your age or current health. "In the vast majority of people, a very healthy lifestyle can prevent hypertension,"

Lose Weight
A study at the University of Padua in Italy found that overweight people who lost between 9 percent and 13 percent of their body weight experienced on average a 6.2-point drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 3.6-point drop in their diastolic pressure (the bottom number)—improvements that were sustained six years later.

Change How You Eat
Some people appear to be more sensitive to salt than others, putting them at higher risk for developing hypertension. Nevertheless, doctors recommend that most people lower their salt intake and increase their potassium. An easy way to do this is to follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) plan, which the NIH developed to lower blood pressure without medication. It has less salt, fat, and sugar than the typical diet and includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, whole-grain products, fish, poultry, nuts, and seeds. The DASH plan is usually the first-line treatment, along with exercise, for people with pre-hypertension—unless they have a chronic disease such as diabetes or kidney problems, in which case they may be prescribed medication. It is also recommended for those who have full-blown hypertension and are taking drugs to treat it.

Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can improve your aerobic conditioning, which will result in a healthy drop in blood pressure, explains Dom¬enic A. Sica, M.D., a professor of medicine and chairman of clinical pharmacology and hypertension at Virginia Commonwealth University. It doesn't have to be vigorous: In a recent review of 26 studies, researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School's Osher Institute concluded that low-impact exercises such as tai chi (a Chinese system of slow meditative physical exercise designed for relaxation and balance and health) can reduce blood pressure. Meanwhile, a study at Syracuse University found that resistance training can lower blood pressure in those who have pre- or stage-1 hypertension.

Get Enough Sleep
"When you go to sleep at night, blood pressure typically drops 15 percent to 30 percent, and your heart rate can drop as much as 30 percent," says Dr. Sica. The overnight reduction can positively affect your blood pressure the next day. On the other hand, a short or fragmented night’s sleep can produce the opposite effect, increasing blood pressure the next day.

TREATMENT OPTIONS
Several classes of drugs can be used to control hypertension, including diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and a drug (approved in 2007) that inhibits renin, a kidney enzyme. In many cases, people will require two or more drugs to bring their blood pressure into the normal range. Because various drugs work in different ways, they can have a complementary, often synergistic effect in reducing blood pressure. Plus, if you use more than one, you usually can take a lower dose of each, which can help you avoid some of the potentially unpleasant side effects (such as swelling, flushing, and headaches), says Dr. Sica.

It is important that you stick with the medication regimen outlined by your doctor. If your blood-pressure readings still aren’t getting into the optimal zone, expect to have your prescriptions or dosages adjusted. "Sometimes you need to try different combinations of drugs until you find the one that works for you," Dr. Sica advises.

Monitor Yourself
Doctors recommend that people with hypertension regularly monitor their blood pressure at home. Blood pressure can vary considerably, fluctuating as much as 30 percent over a relatively short period of time, depending on environmental conditions or what you’re doing, says Dr. Jones. Home monitoring can help you see how your blood pressure shifts throughout the day and is affected by various activities. Knowing what makes a difference can help you get your blood pressure into the target range.

WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN
The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure before it takes a toll is to have regular checkups. Because pressure can vary throughout the day and be affected by whether you are standing or sitting, doctors will often take more than one reading during a single visit.
• Top number: Called "systolic pressure," it measures the pressure within blood vessels as your heart beats.
• Bottom number: This records "diastolic pressure," which happens between beats while your heart is at rest.
• Normal: Under 120/80
• Pre-hypertension: 120/80 to 139/89
• High blood pressure: Over 140/90

This post was prepared with the help of an article by Stacey Colino, PARADE Magazine

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