The lowdown on high blood pressure

Many men don't even think about their blood pressure. Well, maybe you do, when someone makes you mad or you get really upset about something. Aggravating events tend to cause a temporary rise in blood pressure.

What we're talking about here is something more serious: "hypertension," or high blood pressure that remains elevated over time. This condition can be a symptom of something else going on in your body or, uncontrolled, it can signal problems to come. Keeping your blood pressure under control is tremendously important to your overall health. High blood pressure is one of several factors associated with cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer of Americans...both men and women. Cardiovascular disease claims more lives annually than all cancers combined, killing approximately one million people in the U.S. each year. It disables countless others.

High blood pressure is often silent -- or without symptoms -- until a major problem develops. That's why it's essential to see your primary care physician for checkups on a regular basis. Such checkups can literally save your life. Your doctor can help you prevent high blood pressure or, at minimum, treat it at an earlier stage when it's easier to manage.
The lowdown on high blood pressureBlood pressure is the force of the flowing blood against the walls of the arteries. It's measured in two numbers ...for example, '140/90.' The first number (140) is systolic pressure, the pressure when the heart contracts and pumps the blood through the body. The lower number (90) is diastolic pressure, the pressure between pumps, when the heart is resting.

120/80 is considered normal. You have high blood pressure (hypertension) if your blood- pressure reading is equal to or greater than 140/90 for extended periods of time. Elevated blood pressure means your heart is working harder than normal, putting both your heart and arteries under a greater strain.

FACT: As many as 50 million Americans either have high blood pressure or are taking high blood pressure medication.