Managing High Blood Pressure for a Healthy Heart

Over time, unmanaged high blood pressure can impact your risk for heart, attacks, strokes and more. When should you start monitoring your blood pressure? What can you do to reduce your risk? Cardiologist Tiffany Randolph, MD, answers these questions and more in this 2 Your Well-Being Discussion with WFMY News 2. 

Are hypertension and high blood pressure the same thing?

They are the same thing. So when we talk about blood pressure, we think about two numbers. The systolic is the top number, and that is how much force your vessels feel every time your heart squeezes. And then the bottom number, the diastolic, is how much pressure is left inside the vessels in between heartbeats. A totally normal blood pressure would be less than 120/80."

What is happening in our bodies when we have high blood pressure?

Unfortunately, many things. So when your blood pressure is high, it puts unnecessary force on all of your organs. So there's increased pressure on your brain, on your heart, on your kidneys and all your blood vessels. And over time, that can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure; it makes you more likely to have end stage kidney disease, where you might need dialysis; and even raises the risk of developing dementia."

When should I start monitoring my blood pressure?

"By the time you're 18, assuming you don't have any other risks, you should be getting your blood pressure checked at least once every couple of years. So that means if you're not obese, you don't have diabetes, you don't smoke, or any of those types of things, at least every couple of years."

"If you develop any of those risk factors, or by the time you're 40, you really need to have your blood blood pressure checked every year. But if you already have high blood pressure, then it might be very helpful to check it even more frequently, especially as you're needing to make any medication changes or things like that."

How do I check my blood pressure?

"So it's important, first of all, to make sure that you sit and rest for about five minutes. Even small exercises like just walking around your house, things like that, will raise your blood pressure. So you want to sit in a comfortable position with your feet flat on the floor when you check your blood pressure. You always want to make sure that the cuff is at heart level. So you can sit at your kitchen table. You can sit on the side of your couch and rested on the arm. If you have your arm up in the air or hanging down, it really will alter your blood pressure."

Learn more about managing high blood pressure in the full video interview above.