Be Sure to Measure Your Pressure

A Message from Dr. Stephen Kindred – Assistant Vice President, Corporate Medical

According to recent estimates, approximately one in three U.S. adults has hypertension.  Often there are no symptoms associated with high blood pressure, and as a result many people unknowingly live with hypertension for years.  If left undetected or untreated, hypertension can lead to a number of serious health conditions or even death. 

Consequently, hypertension has been dubbed, “the silent killer.”
High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 50,000 Americans died from high blood pressure in 2002.  The consequences associated with high blood pressure are so serious that I continually stress early detection, treatment and long-term control with my patients.

Barry, Project Manager in the Corporate Systems Department and a patient of mine, was told he had high blood pressure about five years ago.  This was followed two years later with a diagnosis of Type II diabetes.

“When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I dabbled at making some changes to my lifestyle, but never took it as seriously as Dr. Kindred would have liked me to,” Barry admits.

However, when his family history of diabetes caught up with him, he started making significant lifestyle changes.  Barry joined a fitness center that offered a discount to State Farm employees.  “One thing I did that really made a difference for me,” Barry says, “was weight training.”  He also increased his aerobic activity, which includes jogging on a treadmill.

Barry’s commitment to improving health extends beyond his personal interests.  In 2008, Barry volunteered to be a leadership sponsor for the Systems Live Well, Be Well team.  He was instrumental in promoting several events throughout the year, such as monthly walks around Corporate South Lake, 50 Million Pound Challenge activities including Dr. Ian Smith’s visit and live desktop presentation in the fall, and SFEA Family Fun Nights.

Detect, Treat, Control

Blood pressure is defined as the force of blood inside the arteries when the heart is contracting, or beating, and when the heart is relaxing.  Blood pressure is typically illustrated as two numbers.  The top (systolic) number represents the pressure while the heart is contracting (beating), while the bottom (diastolic) number represents the pressure while the heart is relaxing.  High blood pressure, or hypertension, results when the force of blood inside the arteries is elevated when the heart is contracting, when the heart is relaxing, or both.

Normal blood pressure for adults is defined as a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure less than 80 mmHg.  High blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure of 140 mmHg or greater and a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or higher.  Systolic readings between 120-139 mmHg and diastolic readings between 80-89 mmHg are indicative of prehypertension, a precursor to hypertension.  Early detection and treatment can often prevent prehypertension from developing into hypertension.

At age 48, not only has Barry lost 40 pounds, he has also managed to keep his systolic readings in the low-100s and diastolic readings in the low- to mid-60s!  This is a marked improvement from his previous readings, which were in the 140s and 90s, respectively.

Physicians may treat individuals with hypertension in a variety of ways.  Some of the common treatment options include lifestyle modifications such as increased physical activity, weight reduction, an improved diet and tobacco cessation.  Although not every patient with high blood pressure requires medication, there are several types of medication physicians may use to lower blood pressure as well.  I encourage you to consult with your physician to find the best treatment option for you.

If you have not done so lately, be sure to take preventive measures and have your blood pressure checked!  If you are enrolled in the Group Medical PPO plan, there is a $1,000 Preventive Screening Benefit for you to consider. 

If you think you may be at risk for high blood pressure or are concerned your blood pressure is too high, contact your physician to determine the most appropriate course of action.  Early detection, treatment and control are additional steps you can take toward empowering you to Live Well, Be Well!

If you haven’t already done so, sign up for The 50 Million Pound Challenge.

Learn more about the Tobacco Cessation Benefit.

Visit the American Stroke Association to learn to recognize warning signs of a stroke.

Understand your health risks associated with high blood pressure by using the blood pressure risk calculator provided by the American Heart Association.