Control Your Blood Pressure & Save Your Life
Control Your Blood Pressure And Save Your Life
Editor: This is an updated version of an article originally published 11/25/2017.
D. S. Mitchell
Silent Killer
I am a retired RN. As a result, I will often blog about health care, and health care news. Today I thought I would draw attention to the ‘silent killer,’ high blood pressure. It is known as the silent killer because there are no warning signs or symptoms of the condition. Approximately 75 million adult Americans have high blood pressure. In 2016 the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported high blood pressure as the primary cause for the death of 410,000 Americans.
Causes Of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure occurs when our arteries become clogged with a waxy substance called plaque. Plaque forms due to a variety of reasons, most particularly these causes are defined as life style causes. There are of course hereditary factors at work, but for most modern adult Americans, high blood pressure is about life style choices.
Ignoring The Diagnosis Will Not Make It Go Away
The American Heart Association indicates that “while the incidence of high Blood pressure is way up from 10 years ago, and 46% of Americans know they have it, most refuse to do anything about it,” says Brion Oaks an AHA spokesman. Americans want to ignore the condition, often refusing to take B/P meds or make lifestyle changes.
