Most people associate high blood pressure with being overweight, smoking, excessive drinking and a lack of activity. Here’s the thing though – I am pretty fit, I run 5 miles most days. I eat healthily, don’t smoke and over a week I probably drink the equivalent to one or two beers a day, BUT, I have high blood pressure! And I have to take blood pressure medication to keep it under control. The things is, in most cases, high blood pressure is hereditary, or you were simply born with a tendency for higher blood pressure.
What Are The Risks Of High Blood Pressure?
Regardless of why you have high blood pressure, the risks remain the same. There are many devastating results that can come about from high blood pressure which is why it’s so important to monitor and keep yours in check. The following can all occur as a result of high blood pressure:
- Weakened heart due to stress of overworking to pump blood
- Damaged walls of arteries
- Blockage of arteries
- Artery splitting
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Increased risk of coronary heart disease
- Increased risk of stroke
- Increased risk of heart attack
- Increased risk of kidney disease
- Damage to eyes and vision
- Increased risk of peripheral arterial disease which affects your limbs
You hear people all the time saying blah blah blah, I am not worried about my blood pressure, everyone has high blood pressure, or I’m not taking blood pressure meds, etc, etc, but the simple fact remains – high blood pressure (and the heart attacks and strokes it causes) is set to become the single biggest preventable cause of death in the US. I don’t know about you, but I want to live to see my kids grow up…
If you don’t know what your blood pressure is, get it checked by a doctor or nurse. If it is too high, get some advice and take the advice, on how to lower it.
