May LM 2024_1

Your Health Matters What You Need to Know About High Blood Pressure from Health Alliance™

May is High Blood Pressure Education Month , when people are encouraged to get their blood pressure checked regularly and to look at various lifestyle factors that may be contributing to high blood pressure. That’s because high blood pressure can shorten life expectancy and cause some serious health problems—many of which are also avoidable. What can you do about high blood pressure? As leaders, you can share key information and resources to promote awareness of this health concern among your teachers and staff. You can create a healthier, more informed workforce by sharing this article with them, and they can share onward with their families. Did you know? • High blood pressure is known as “the silent killer” because there are rarely any physical symptoms associated with it, which makes it that much more important to check your blood pressure regularly. • Half of all Americans have high blood pressure, yet a third of all women with high blood pressure don’t know they have it. • High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for a stroke. A stroke can occur at any age. In fact, one in seven strokes occur in adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 49. • Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Native Americans and Alaska Natives. • Each year, stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer. Up to 80% of strokes can be prevented. High blood pressure can cause or lead to health problems. Blood pressure higher than 130/80 mm Hg is considered high blood pressure, or hypertension —which damages

blood vessels and can cause serious, possibly deadly health conditions, including: • Heart disease. Hypertension can cause blood vessels to become blocked, leading to a heart attack. Sixty-nine percent of people who have a heart attack for the first time have high blood pressure. • Stroke . Hypertension can cause blood vessels to burst or clog more easily, which could lead to a stroke if it happens in the brain. Seventy-seven percent of people who have a stroke for the first time have high blood pressure. • Vision loss. Hypertension can cause blood vessels in the back of the eyes to rupture or make the optic nerve swell, causing loss of vision. • Kidney disease. When damaged blood vessels stop kidneys from getting the blood they need to function, kidneys can no longer filter waste from the blood properly. High blood pressure is the second-leading cause of kidney failure. • Dementia. Hypertension can damage the small blood vessels in the brain, affecting the parts of the brain responsible for thinking and memory. • Sexual dysfunction. Blood vessel damage from hypertension reduces blood flow throughout the body. Lower blood flow to the pelvis can result in erectile dysfunction in men and lower libido in women. Have your blood pressure checked at each healthcare provider visit. What treatments have proven effective for high blood pressure? Healthy eating and lifestyle changes are often the first treatments for hypertension because they have a big effect on blood pressure. In fact, the Mayo Clinic recommends

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LM May 2024