Healthy Blood Pressure

Judy Dodd, MS, RD, LDN Giant Eagle^® Corporate Nutritionist

The American Heart Association (AHA) describes blood pressure as the force of blood pushing against blood vessels. As your heart pumps with each beat blood is pushed out of the heart and through the blood vessels to every part of our body. Blood pressure is the force or tension on the blood vessels both when the heart is pumping and when it is refilling with blood and resting.

Blood pressure is measured in two numbers such as 120/80. The first (or top) number is the systolic pressure when the heart beats. The second (or bottom) number is the diastolic pressure or the force of the blood against the artery walls between beats when the heart is resting and refilling. The goal is 120/80 or lower for a normal blood pressure.

An adult with a systolic pressure between 120-139 or a diastolic pressure between 80-89 is considered pre-hypertensive. High blood pressure occurs when the systolic pressure is above 140 and/ or the diastolic is above 90. It is estimated that one in every three American adults (about 72 million people) have high blood pressure.

One of the major roles of blood is carrying oxygen and nutrients to all parts of our body including the brain. It is your blood pressure that is the regulator of this vital function. Having high blood pressure raises the risk for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. However, the American Heart Association refers to high blood pressure as the "silent killer" since there may be no symptoms. A health-promoting lifestyle and regular monitoring of your blood pressure by a qualified professional are important.

Here are some points to consider:

Know your potential risk.
- At a higher risk are those with close relatives with high blood pressure; African Americans, people with diabetes or people with kidney disease.
- Being overweight, smoking, high sodium/salt diets, an inactive lifestyle and drinking too much alcohol are other risk factors.
- Your medical doctor is the person who will assess your risk and prescribe the best course of action to get your pressure under control.
Have your blood pressure monitored routinely.
- The blood pressure self-serve kiosks are a starting point but are only a first screen.
- Giant Eagle^® pharmacists are trained to do blood pressure checks. And the follow up for a higher-than-usual blood pressure should be a visit to your doctor's office.
Some health-promoting lifestyle thoughts include:
- Aim for a healthy body weight.
- Assess your physical activity and exercise. The AHA recommends at least 30 minutes of safe-for-you exercise each day.
- Limit alcohol to one drink a day or none if you are on certain medications.
- Follow your medical doctor's advice for taking any medications each day to help control your blood pressure.
- Make a heart-healthy diet your goal, with limited salt, saturated and trans fat and built around a base of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy and protein sources.

Email us at nutrition@gianteagle.com.

Important Physician Advice Disclaimer: The content provided by Giant Eagle^®, including but not limited to, web site, recipe and health information is for educational purposes only. This content is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your physician for professional guidance before changing or undertaking a new diet program. Advance consultation with your physician is particularly important if you are under the age of 18, pregnant, nursing, or have health problems.