Silent But Deadly, High Blood Pressure
I thought I was blessed with excellent health, but a recent trip to the doctor proved otherwise–that I have pre-hypertension.
Because high blood pressure usually causes no symptoms until complications develop, it is known as the “silent killer.” While high blood pressure or hypertension was once thought of as a “man’s disease,” in fact, women are as likely to suffer from this condition as men are. Furthermore, more women than men die from complications of high blood pressure because women often ignore or fail to detect their high blood pressure until it is too late.
I would argue with my physician that I was okay and I didn’t need any medications to lower my blood pressure. I guess I forgot from all my years of selling cardiovascular medications that uncontrolled high blood pressure can affect your target organs: arteries, brain, heart, kidneys, and eyes.
When did this happen? When did the guidelines change? A quick Google search showed that in 2004, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) revised the basic guidelines for what blood pressure numbers mean. Do you know what your blood pressure is?