BLOOD PRESSURE BASICS

What is Blood Pressure?

• The force of blood pushing against artery walls

What is an Average Blood Pressure? Reading?

• The top number is the systolic pressure: the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls at the moment the heart pumps out the blood. **

• The bottom number is the diastolic pressure: the of the blood when the heart relaxes.

Ideal Blood Pressure

A simple way to remember: Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg.

Teens may have lower blood pressures because of their age and their height. 90/60 might not be low for a teen.

HYPERTENSION• Blood pressure is normally high when:• You are exercising or excited. • Blood pressure drops back down to normal whenyou stop exercising or you calmdown. *What causes blood pressure to remain high all of the time?*Narrow arteries – tense or constricted, hardened, or clogged *Too much blood volume

Sodium holds water in your body, increasing the amount of blood.

How Much of a Health Problem is High Blood Pressure?

• What percentage of older adults end up with high blood pressure?

• 50-75%• Do teenagers ever get high blood pressure?• Yes, about 10% have pre-hypertension and 3-

10% actually have high blood pressure.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?• Make a list of all the causes that you and your partner can think of. • How many did you get?• Genetics• Age• Lack of exercise• Using tobacco• Heavy use of alcohol• Unmanaged, chronic stress• Too many processed foods: a high sodium diet• Lack of fruits and vegetables: too little potassium• A high percentage of body fat: body composition problems

How Much Sodium Do We Need?

• 500 mg. or _______ teaspoon• 1/4 tsp.• How much do most of us eat? ______ tsp?• 4000-6000 mg. or 2-3 tsp.• What is a safe level? _________________• 1500 mg is the recommended amount. • 2400 mg. is the maximum amount noted.

The Silent Killer

• Why is hypertension called the silent killer?• It has no symptoms.• How can you find out if your blood pressure is

high?• Measure it on a regular basis.

What Problems Does Hypertension Cause?

• Heart Failure• The heart overworks, pumping against high

pressure 24/7. It wears out early.• Stroke• Arteries burst, usually in the brain. Or they

may harden, defending against the high pressure.

• Kidney Damage

Where is Most Sodium Found in Our Diets?

• From processed and restaurant foods, we get:• 75%• From the salt we add to food and the sodium

which occurs naturally in food, we get the remaining:

• 25%