Treating out-of-control blood pressure with antihypertensive medication can greatly reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke and heart failure, but the current approach to treatment can't undo all of the previous damage or restore cardiovascular disease risk to ideal levels, a new Northwestern Medicine study suggests.
There is no cure for high blood pressure. But treatment can lower blood pressure that is too high. If it is mild, high blood pressure may sometimes be brought under control by making changes to a healthier lifestyle.
Weight management is an important way to control blood pressure. If you're overweight, losing even 5 pounds (about 2.3 kilograms) can lower your blood pressure. It takes about 1 to 3 months for regular exercise to have an impact on blood pressure.
It's important to remember that high blood pressure is not usually a death sentence. As long as you're regularly working with your doctor on treatment and managing your blood pressure levels, you will likely live a long life. This includes making significant changes to your health and lifestyle for the better.
Prehypertension is a warning sign of the risk of developing long term high blood pressure (hypertension), which increases the possibility of heart attack, stroke and other potentially fatal heart health problems later on. If detected and treated early, prehypertension can be reversed.
High blood pressure (hypertension) causes blood vessels to become stiff and not work as effectively. In the long term, this causes permanent damage to the major organs, including the heart, brain, lungs and kidneys, and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.
How long will you have to take your medication? Perhaps for the rest of your life. Managing blood pressure is a lifelong commitment.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
Lack of physical activity. High-sodium diet. Heavy alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day)
120 to 129/less than 80 (Elevated): You probably don't need medication. Your blood pressure is higher than you want, but it's not full-on high blood pressure. Unless you also have another health condition -- like kidney disease or heart problems -- your doctor will likely say you don't need drugs for now.
30% of Americans have high blood pressure. 20% of young adults even have it! It's not your fault and you are not alone.
High blood pressure can damage your health in many ways. It can seriously hurt important organs like your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. The good news is that, in most cases, you can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to complications including: Heart attack or stroke. Hardening and thickening of the arteries due to high blood pressure or other factors can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications. Aneurysm.
Q: Can hypertensive retinopathy be reversed? A: It depends on the extent of damage to the retina. In many cases, the damage caused by hypertensive retinopathy can slowly heal if the necessary steps to lower one's blood pressure are taken.
Abstract. The heart, kidney, brain, and arterial blood vessels are prime targets of hypertensive damage. Uncontrolled hypertension accelerates the damage to these organs and results in eventual organ failure and cardiovascular death and disability.
Among the known causes of secondary hypertension, kidney disease ranks highest. Hypertension can also be triggered by tumors or other abnormalities that cause the adrenal glands (small glands that sit atop the kidneys) to secrete excess amounts of the hormones that elevate blood pressure.
Call 911 or emergency medical services if your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or greater and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms of stroke. Stroke symptoms include numbness or tingling, trouble speaking, or changes in vision.
It's All About Lifestyle Change
It probably just means its working! W – Manage a healthy weight: Make changes to your diet and activity level – even a small amount will help! D – Eat a healthy diet: Start by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. S – Stop smoking and manage stress.
In general, you shouldn't stop taking blood pressure medications suddenly. If you do, they can cause potentially dangerous side effects that can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Blood pressure medications are often stopped more gradually, utilizing a strategy such as tapering.
While it is possible to do so, it is important to first talk to your medical provider. Stopping your medication suddenly may cause your blood pressure to spike, which can be dangerous. Instead, your doctor will likely recommend slowly tapering off the medication over a period of time.
If your blood pressure is equal to or higher than 140/90 mm Hg, you have Stage 2 high blood pressure. Your provider will most likely recommend that you take medicines and recommend lifestyle changes.
Blood pressure has a daily pattern. Usually, blood pressure starts to rise a few hours before a person wakes up. It continues to rise during the day, peaking in midday. Blood pressure typically drops in the late afternoon and evening.
We now know most people have higher blood pressure in the daytime and blood pressure medications start to work within a few hours. And the effect usually lasts a full 24 hours.
Choice of initial therapy in most patients — The three primary options for antihypertensive drug therapy in most patients include an ACE inhibitor (or ARB), a calcium channel blocker, or a thiazide diuretic (preferably a thiazide-like diuretic) [3].