Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure and Seniors
10/04/11 10:00
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one in four adults, have a continuously elevated pressure of the blood moving through their arteries. For adults aged 70 and older, that number rises dramatically to two out of three. High blood pressure significantly increases your risk for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke. While there may be no symptoms, and people affected by high blood pressure may feel fine, some may experience dizziness, palpitations, sweating, and headaches.
Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers — the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). The Merck Manual on Medical Information defines high blood pressure as a systolic pressure at rest that averages 140 mm Hg or more, a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90 mm Hg or more, or both. Usually both the systolic and the diastolic pressures are elevated. However, in the elderly, only the systolic pressure may be elevated, which nevertheless can cause medical problems down the road.
Special Factors for the Elderly:
Many Americans tend to develop high blood pressure as they get older, but this is not a part of healthy aging. About 60% of all Americans age 60 and older have high blood pressure. Only a fraction of those who have high blood pressure actually know it and are actively treating it.
Only a few decades ago, the medical community treated the elderly differently when it came to high blood pressure. Since prescription drug interventions could prove risky, only those seniors with extremely high blood pressure were treated. According to the Society of
Geriatric Cardiology, there are now numerous safe and effective blood pressure medications available. “It has been shown that the majority of older patients adhere and respond to treatment as well as or better than younger patients,” the Society notes.
Since the elderly have fluctuations in their blood pressure throughout the course of the day and may have adverse interactions with other medications, doctors should carefully monitor and adjust a senior’s medication. The Society of Geriatric Cardiology recommends that at least two or three blood pressure readings should be taken at different times to establish a diagnosis of hypertension.
Prevention:
The best way to prevent high blood pressure is by adopting a healthy lifestyle:
◦ Following healthy eating patterns: emphasize fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods; eat foods low in saturated fat, total fat,
and cholesterol; eat whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts; reduce fats, red meats, sweets, and sugared beverages. (see The
DASH Diet under “Sources” for more information)
◦ Reducing salt and sodium in your diet: reduce salt intake to less than six grams (one teaspoon) per day from all sources.
◦ Maintaining a healthy weight: since blood pressure rises as weight increases, reducing your weight can improve your
hypertension, as well as reduce your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
◦ Being physically active: even the lowest level of physical activity can have a positive impact on health and well-being.
◦ Limiting alcohol intake: if you drink alcoholic beverages, have only a moderate amount — one drink a day for women; two drinks
a day for men.
◦ Quitting smoking: smoking injures blood vessels and speeds up the hardening of the arteries.
Original article: http://www.ec-online.net/knowledge/articles/bloodpressure.html
Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers — the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). The Merck Manual on Medical Information defines high blood pressure as a systolic pressure at rest that averages 140 mm Hg or more, a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90 mm Hg or more, or both. Usually both the systolic and the diastolic pressures are elevated. However, in the elderly, only the systolic pressure may be elevated, which nevertheless can cause medical problems down the road.
Special Factors for the Elderly:
Many Americans tend to develop high blood pressure as they get older, but this is not a part of healthy aging. About 60% of all Americans age 60 and older have high blood pressure. Only a fraction of those who have high blood pressure actually know it and are actively treating it.
Only a few decades ago, the medical community treated the elderly differently when it came to high blood pressure. Since prescription drug interventions could prove risky, only those seniors with extremely high blood pressure were treated. According to the Society of
Geriatric Cardiology, there are now numerous safe and effective blood pressure medications available. “It has been shown that the majority of older patients adhere and respond to treatment as well as or better than younger patients,” the Society notes.
Since the elderly have fluctuations in their blood pressure throughout the course of the day and may have adverse interactions with other medications, doctors should carefully monitor and adjust a senior’s medication. The Society of Geriatric Cardiology recommends that at least two or three blood pressure readings should be taken at different times to establish a diagnosis of hypertension.
Prevention:
The best way to prevent high blood pressure is by adopting a healthy lifestyle:
◦ Following healthy eating patterns: emphasize fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods; eat foods low in saturated fat, total fat,
and cholesterol; eat whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts; reduce fats, red meats, sweets, and sugared beverages. (see The
DASH Diet under “Sources” for more information)
◦ Reducing salt and sodium in your diet: reduce salt intake to less than six grams (one teaspoon) per day from all sources.
◦ Maintaining a healthy weight: since blood pressure rises as weight increases, reducing your weight can improve your
hypertension, as well as reduce your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
◦ Being physically active: even the lowest level of physical activity can have a positive impact on health and well-being.
◦ Limiting alcohol intake: if you drink alcoholic beverages, have only a moderate amount — one drink a day for women; two drinks
a day for men.
◦ Quitting smoking: smoking injures blood vessels and speeds up the hardening of the arteries.
Original article: http://www.ec-online.net/knowledge/articles/bloodpressure.html
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