Prevent & Control High Blood Pressure:
Mission Possible

May is high blood pressure awareness month. What you should know about preventing and controlling high blood pressure.

High blood pressure (also called hypertension) increases your chances of having a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and other life-threatening illnesses. Anyone can get it, and as you get older, the likelihood of your developing high blood pressure increases. If you are overweight or obese or if you have diabetes, the odds are even higher.

8 things you can do to prevent and control high blood pressure:

1. Talk with your health care professional. Ask what your blood pressure numbers are and what the numbers mean. High blood pressure is called “the silent killer” because your numbers are often your only warning.
2. Take medication as prescribed. If you need medication, make sure you understand what it’s for and how and when to take it, then take it as your physician recommends.
3. Lose weight if you are overweight and maintain a healthy weight. Limit portion sizes, especially of high calorie foods, and try to eat only as many calories as you burn each day---or less if you want to lose weight.
4. Eat heart healthy. Follow an eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy products and is moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
5. Reduce salt and sodium intake. Read food labels to choose canned, processed, and convenience foods that are lower in sodium. Limit sodium intake to no more than 2400mg. or about 1 teaspoon’s worth of salt each day.
6. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. For men, that means a maximum of 2 drinks per day, for women, a maximum of 1.
7. Become more physically active. Work up to at least 30 minutes of a moderate-level activity, such as brisk walking or bicycling, each day. If you don’t have 30 minutes, try to find two 15 minute periods or even three 10 minute periods for physical activity.
8. Quit smoking. Smoking increases your chances of developing a stroke, heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and several forms of cancer.

Submitted By: Marilee Knapp
Executive Quality Assurance Nurse
ABCM Corporation