Anyone can develop high blood pressure. Chances are you may have high blood pressure or know someone with this common but serious condition. The good news is that high blood pressure can be prevented, and in the majority of patients who already have this condition, it can be controlled.
Factors associated with high blood pressure include a family history of the condition; a diet high in salt; not getting enough exercise; stress; some sleep disorders; and drinking too much alcohol. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider if you have any of these factors. You should also:
How to Control High Blood Pressure
- Follow a healthy diet. Limit the amount of salt and alcohol that you consume. The NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan promotes healthy eating.
- Be active. Regular physical activity can lower blood pressure and reduce your risk for other health problems.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Staying at a healthy weight can help you control high blood pressure and reduce your risk for other health problems.
- Learn to manage and cope with stress. Learning how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your overall health.
- Check your blood pressure. The test is easy and painless, and can be done at a healthcare provider's office or clinic. Your healthcare provider can tell you how often you should be tested.
- Know your family history. Figure out if a blood relative such as a mother, father, sister, or brother has or had high blood pressure. This will help you determine if you are at a higher risk of developing it.
It is particularly important for Blacks to adopt these healthy lifestyle habits because they:
- Tend to develop high blood pressure earlier in life;
- Often have more severe high blood pressure;
- Are less likely than other races to have an optimal response to treatment;
- And have higher rates of early death from heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure, than other races.
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important that you work with your healthcare provider for lifelong blood pressure control, and follow your treatment plan closely. Early and ongoing treatment may help you avoid heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other high blood pressure-related problems.
You May Also Like
To learn more about high blood pressure and how to prevent and control the condition, visit NHLBI’s website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbp. And to learn more about DASH, visit: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash.
Dr. George Mensah is a senior advisor in the Office of the Director at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also serves as Director of the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS). In this position, Dr. Mensah leads a trans-NHLBI effort to advance late-stage translational research in heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
