Remember hypertension during healthy heart month Published Feb. 22, 2013 By Maj. Roslyn Thomas 18th Medical Group KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- February is healthy heart month, so let's talk about high blood pressure. High blood pressure affects an estimated 68 million people, or one in three American adults. If high blood pressure is not controlled, it can advance to heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death in the United States. Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls as it circulates through your body. Measuring your blood pressure is quick and painless. A health professional wraps an inflatable cuff with a pressure gauge around your arm to squeeze the blood vessels, and listens to your pulse with a stethoscope while releasing air from the cuff and watching the gauge. The gauge measures blood pressure in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated as mmHg. Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The first, or systolic, number represents the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. The second, or diastolic, number represents the pressure in your vessels when your heart rests between beats. High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" because many people don't realize they have it. High blood pressure often has no warning signs or symptoms. You should have your blood pressure checked at least every two years if you do not have a history, or every year if you have a history. Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is present during more than one visit. If high blood pressure is not controlled, it can harden the arteries and decreased the blood flow and oxygen to the heart. This reduced flow can lead to chest pain, heart failure and heart attack. High blood pressure can burst or block arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, causing a stroke. To take control of your blood pressure, follow your provider's instructions and stay on your medications; eat a healthy diet that is low in salt, low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables; take a brisk 10-minute walk three times a day, five days a week; and don't smoke. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible. You can visit the health and wellness center for tips on quitting. Additionally, prehypertension is when the blood pressure is higher than 120/80 but less than 139/89. Most people will not be on medication but should have their blood pressure checked annually. If we focus on lifestyle modification, we can decrease blood pressure to normal or prevent hypertension. For more information on hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, contact your disease managers. You can also see our Kadena medical clinic webpage, under medical management, or visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.