High blood pressure (HBP), or Hypertension is a medical condition in which the long-term force of the blood against the artery wall is high enough that it will eventually cause significant health problems such as heart disease or kidney failure.

There is not a single cause of high blood pressure. However, there are factors which will increase your risk of developing this condition and these are as follows:

• Age – The risk increases as you get older.
• A family history in which there is evidence of hypertension among relatives
• Being of African descent.
• Lack of, or Insufficient exercise
• Being Overweight
• Drinking too much Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults generally means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
• Smoking
• Long-term sleep deprivation

A diet high in sodium, especially in the form of salt (sodium chloride) has not been shown to be a risk factor or cause of high blood pressure. However, a high salt diet may exacerbate high blood pressure.

High blood pressure does not usually have any symptoms until it is very late in the process. It can only be diagnosed by a test. The test is a very simple and inexpensive and is completed with the assistance of a High Blood Pressure Monitor. The Health Care Professionals recommend that all adults have their pressure checked at least once per year. The frequency of these tests should increase for those who are at risk and as we age.

Simple lifestyle changes can help to lower the high blood pressure in most individuals. However, some individuals may require medication to control persistent hypertension.

Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number/ top number) is the force at which the heart pumps blood around your body. The diastolic pressure (lower number/ bottom number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels. They are both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). Some home machines show a third number at the bottom of the screen and this is the pulse rate in heartbeats per minute.

The Health Care Professionals normally record the systolic number over the diastolic number. For example the reading shown in the diagram of the home BP monitor would be stated as “120 over 80”,  (pulse 72 if you can see it in the diagram below).

Tips on taking your blood pressure.

Here are some tips to help ensure accurate blood pressure monitoring at home:

• Check your device’s accuracy. Before using a monitor for the first time, have your doctor check its accuracy against the office model. Also have your doctor watch you use the device to see if you’re doing it properly.

• Measure your blood pressure twice daily. The first measurement should be in the morning before eating or taking any medications, and the second in the evening. Each time you measure, take two or three readings to make sure your results are accurate. Your doctor might recommend taking your blood pressure at the same times each day.

• Don’t measure your blood pressure right after you wake up. You can prepare for the day, but don’t eat breakfast or take medications before measuring your blood pressure. If you exercise after waking, take your blood pressure before exercising.

• Avoid food, caffeine (tea and coffee, some ‘soft drinks’), tobacco and alcohol for 30 minutes before taking a measurement. Also, go to the toilet first. A full bladder can increase blood pressure slightly.

• Sit quietly before and during monitoring. When you are ready to take your blood pressure, sit for five minutes in a comfortable position with your legs and ankles uncrossed and your back supported against a chair. Try to be calm and not think about stressful things. Don’t talk while taking your blood pressure.

 Make sure your arm is positioned so that the cuff around your arm is approximately at the same height of your heart. Always use the same arm when taking your blood pressure. You may rest your forearm on a table, desk or chair arm.

• Place the cuff on bare skin, not over clothing. Rolling up a sleeve until it tightens around your arm can result in an inaccurate reading, so you may need to slip your arm out of the sleeve.

• Take a repeat reading. Wait for two minutes after the first reading, and then take another to check accuracy. If your monitor doesn’t automatically log blood pressure readings or heart rates, write them down.

         Normally used in a doctor’s office.                                          Normally used at home.

The chart below helps you to interpret what the pressure levels mean when your blood pressure is taken.

Tracking your blood pressure readings

It is recommended that you keep a regular record of your blood pressure readings. This record should include the dates and times the measurements were taken and the actual readings. These readings include the systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and the pulse rate. My recommendation is that you share these readings with your doctor. This record of your blood pressure reading may provide valuable information for your doctor visits.

Life Style Changes

There are some life-style changes you can make to reduce high blood pressure.

Some of these will lower your blood pressure in a matter of weeks, while others may take longer.

• Reduce your salt intake to less than 6g (0.2oz) a day, which is about a teaspoonful.
• Eat a low-fat, balanced diet – including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Start exercising on a regular basis.
• Reduce your consumption of alcohol.
• Lose weight and reduce your Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is the percentage of fat in your body.

• Drink less caffeine – found in coffee, tea and cola.
• Stop smoking – get help quitting Stop smoking – get help quitting

You can take these steps today, regardless of whether or not you’re taking blood pressure medicines.

In fact, by making these changes early on you may be able to avoid needing medicines.

Medication

You may need to take blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. But your doctor might be able to reduce or stop your treatment if your blood pressure stays under control for several years.

It’s really important to take your medicine on a daily basis. It is my experience that most of these medications do not work for more than 24 hours. Therefore missing a day will cause a rise your blood pressure.

Medicines used to treat high blood pressure can have bad side effects, but most people do not get any. Some men experience reduction in sexual performance.

If you do get side effects, do not stop taking your medicine. Talk to your doctor, who may advise changing your medicine.

High Blood Pressure is sometimes called the silent killer. In Barbados it is estimated that 29% of adult men and 27% of adult women have high blood pressure. This is a serious problem throughout the Caribbean region.

Good luck in managing your high blood pressure. Hope this article has help you in some way. Share with others.

Compiled by Allan Haynes, a dialysis patient and founder of Kidney Caribbean and a member of the Barbados kidney Association

www.kidneycaribbean.com