Heart Health: New Target For Lowering Blood Pressure

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Do know the complications of having blood pressure that is to low? Do you think it's different for older people than younger people? Learn new ways to help lower your blood pressure naturally. What do you think can help have a positive effect on decreasing high blood pressure? This quiz will talk about a study that has had positive effects on decreasing blood pressure and the answer might surprise you. As a newer generation is coming of age, I think people are more open-minded and are ready to learn new and innovative ways to fight high blood pressure. Learn what to eat and what foods to avoid that will help control blood pressure. Did you know there other interventions that can help reduce blood pressure that are almost as effective as medication? Of course, always follow doctor recommendations and come up with a plan to decrease blood pressure within normal limits. Learn the scary truth of the effects of blood pressure on the artery walls and what happens after the fact. What type of alternative therapy has shown to be effective in reduction? What is the impact of lowing blood pressure? What about medicine failure? How many medications does it usually take to lower blood pressure to the normal limits?

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What I find interesting is how much salt is added to prepackaged food. Next time you're in the store, look at the salt content. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. To give an idea, 1 teaspoon of salt = 2,300 mg sodium! This number is shocking! On average, Americans eat more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day which equals how many teaspoons? Personally, I know I consume well over this amount. I am always watching my husband's blood pressure because it runs on the high side, and being a nurse, I know the scary implications of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is known as the silent killer, since high blood pressure typically does not have any symptoms until after the damage has been done. High blood pressure can cause significant damage to the heart and arteries. According to the CDC, approximately 75 million American adults have high blood pressure, which is 1 out of every 3 adults. Sometimes years can pass before symptoms of high blood pressure develop which in this time a person's body is being damaged leading to serious complications. Scary complications of hypertension are possibly an aneurysm, enlarged heart, heart failure and damage to a person's brain to name a few. High blood pressure can injure both the blood vessels in and leading to an individual's kidneys, causing several types of kidney disease also known as nephropathy. High blood pressure can cause several problems involving the brain such as a transient ischemic attack (mini stroke) which is a warning sign that a person may be at risk for a full blown stroke. Do you know the normal limits BP should be within?