American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, describes Essential Hypertension as high blood pressure for which there is no known cause, and therefore, no known cure. Approximately, 90% of high blood pressure is essential hypertension in the U.S.
Hypertension is deemed by having a Systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mm Hg. What does this mean? basically that your heart is working out of ordinarily hard to pump nutrients and hormones throughout your body. This has to be confirmed by measurements on at least two separate occasions with your physician. There are multiple things that can occur to affect your Systolic blood pressure before a reading. One non-serious contribution could be having just ran up a flight of stairs because you were running late to your appointment- However for the general population diagnosed, is non-physically induced such as a poor diet (heavy in sodium, or a sedentary lifestyle).
The recommendations by some national organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA) or the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), say adults should engage in at least 30 min of moderate intensity physical activity on most and preferably all days/week. How many actually take this into consideration when they start planning their day?
These recommendations should be taken as a forewarning to boost their defense against the different types of Cardiovascular Disease. Yes I said different types, there is atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries), congested heart failure, myocardial infarction (heart attack), pulmonary edema (blockage), and other serious concerns such as kidney failure, and even erectile dysfunction.
| Blood Pressure Category |
Systolic mm Hg (upper #) |
Diastolic mm Hg (lower #) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | less than 120 | and | less than 80 |
| Prehypertension | 120 – 139 | or | 80 – 89 |
| High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1 |
140 – 159 | or | 90 – 99 |
| High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2 |
160 or higher | or | 100 or higher |
| Hypertensive Crisis (Emergency care needed) |
Higher than 180 | or | Higher than 110 |
Positive Risk Factors (increase risk)
- Age
- Family History
- Cigarette Smoking
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia
- Prediabetes
Negative Risk Factor (decrease risk)
- High Serum HDL Cholesterol
HDL
Experts believe HDL acts as a scavenger, carrying LDL cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is broken down and passed from the body. One-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. A healthy level of HDL cholesterol may also protect against heart attack and stroke, while low levels of HDL cholesterol have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease
The risk of CVD begins at 115/75 mm Hg, doubling with each increment of 20/10
Lifestyle Modifications ranked by order of negative risk effictiveness
- Weight Reduction 5-20 mm Hg
- DASH Diet 8-14 mm Hg
- Physical Activity 4-9 mm Hg
- Moderation of Alcohol Consumption 2-4 mm Hg
For those wanting to know about the DASH diet, or other heart healthy nutrition options- the Sodium Reduction Team webpage supported by the American Heart Association has plenty of resources and they are always updating their feed.
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