There are lots of things that can get your heart going—a scary movie, a thrill ride, love, and even your blood pressure, to name a few. Your blood pressure may be the least exciting of the bunch but it’s the most important because it’s a good indicator of your heart health.
Blood pressure is the force of the blood moving through your arteries en route to your entire body. Every time your heart beats, it’s pumping blood into your arteries, a highway system of sorts to deliver oxygen-rich blood to your body’s cells and tissues. To be clear though, blood pressure and heart rate are two different things with blood pressure a measure of how powerfully your blood is moving through your body and heart rate being the number of times your heart beats in a minute. Both blood pressure and heart rate can be affected by what you’re doing, such as exercise or something thrilling/exciting, and can be calmed down with rest but high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can take your life and is often called the “silent killer.”
High blood pressure is capable of damaging your heart, kidneys and/or brain before you even know you have it or experience any symptoms. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and without treatment can cause:
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Heart attack or stroke
- Aneurysms
- Heart failure
- Kidney disease
- Eye problems
- Enlarged heart
- Peripheral artery disease
- Metabolic syndrome
- Changes in memory or understanding
- Dementia
Some symptoms of high blood pressure include headaches, shortness of breath and nosebleeds, while risk factors include:
- Age
- Race
- Family history
- Lack of exercise
- Tobacco use or vaping
- Too much salt
- Low potassium levels
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Stress
- Some chronic conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea
- Pregnancy
Don’t Forget
All EWTF participants have access to Hello Heart, a voluntary, free-of-charge heart health program that helps track blood pressure, cholesterol, and medications with the goal of improving cardiovascular health. Learning about Hello Heart and enrolling is simple. Just visit https://preferences.helloheart.com/ewtf.