High blood pressure, the silent killer
Dr. David Hofheins
MATTAWA — The Center for Disease Control (CDC) annually designates May as High Blood Pressure Education Month.
“There’s a good reason for that,” David Hofheins, DO, said recently. “Blood pressure has a huge impact on our health.”
More than 50 million people in the US visit a health care provider about this condition.
“Here’s where the numbers are important,” Hofheins said.
Written as two figures, blood pressure is measured as the pressure when the heart has pumped (systolic) and when the heart is resting between beats (diastolic). The systolic measurement will be higher than the diastolic measurement. Generally, blood pressure readings for the average person are around 120/80.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, increases the risk of serious diseases and conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. Other risk factors of high blood pressure include congestive heart failure and kidney disease.
“The CDC estimates that one in three adults have high blood pressure,” Hofheins said. “The scary thing is that most people are not aware they have this condition.”
There aren’t lots of signs or symptoms until the condition becomes very serious or even life threatening. That’s why high blood pressure is called the silent killer.
“When we diagnose a patient with high blood pressure, it is important to figure out what is causing it,” Hofheins said. “High levels of sodium (salt) in our diet are one of the culprits. In the US, we consume more than twice the level of recommended sodium.”
Federal guidelines recommend up to 2,300 mg of sodium per day for an adult. It’s even lower for at-risk people – only 1,500 mg of sodium. Higher risk groups include people who have diabetes, kidney disease, and existing high blood pressure.
According to Hofheins, maintaining a healthy body weight is important as well as regular exercise, quitting smoking, and a potassium-rich diet of fish, green leafy vegetables, bananas, citrus fruits and potatoes.
Regular medical check-ups will help patients monitor their blood pressure and other health conditions.
Hofheins has been treating patients at Columbia Basin Health Association since 1979.