Hypertension: What Seniors Should Know

Hypertension (high blood pressure) often shows no symptoms and can take a devastating toll on a senior’s body.

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the inner walls of your arteries. If that pressure is too high over time, it can scar and weaken the blood vessels. The increased risks associated with hypertension includes the most serious conditions that afflict senior adults:

• Heart attack or heart failure
• Stroke
• Vision loss
• Kidney damage
• Peripheral artery disease
• Loss of bone strength
• Circulation problems
• Erectile dysfunction in men
• Dementia

Causes of Hypertension

Some causes for hypertension are beyond a person’s control, including genetics (a family history of hypertension) and race (African-Americans are at a higher risk). Age and sex also have a bearing on risk. Men in their middle adult years have high blood pressure more often than women, but later in life, women have high blood pressure more often than men.

By age 60 and older, half of all Americans have high blood pressure.

Other risk factors for hypertension include having diabetes, gout or kidney disease, poor stress management, and depression.

Some causes for hypertension are attributed to poor health habits and choices, including:

• Being overweight
• Excessive salt intake
• Lack of physical activity
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption

Blood pressure is measured by using two numbers. The top, or higher number in a blood pressure reading, is called the systolic pressure. This is the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood throughout the body. The lower, or diastolic pressure, is the force inside the artery when the heart is at rest and filling with blood before its next beat. The readings are expressed in millimeters of mercury, abbreviated as mm Hg.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health has determined normal, elevated and high blood pressure levels for adults:

Normal

Systolic: less than 120 mm Hg

Diastolic: less than 80 mm Hg

Elevated

Systolic: 120-129 mm Hg

Diastolic: less than 80 mm Hg

High Blood Pressure

Systolic: 130 mm Hg or higher

Diastolic: 80 mm Hg or higher

These numbers should be considered a guide. Many factors can affect blood pressure readings, including time of day, stress levels, what and when medications have been taken, and the uniqueness of the individual. A physician will probably take a number of blood pressure readings at different intervals to determine the most accurate reading for a patient.

11 Ways to Manage Hypertension

According to the American Heart Association, hypertension can’t be cured, but it can be managed through lifestyle changes and medications.

Of prime importance is making blood pressure management a priority. This may involve many of the steps below:

1. Maintain a healthy weight. Even modest weight loss of a few pounds significantly reduces the effects of high blood pressure. Being overweight can contribute to sleep disorders like sleep apnea, which can also raise blood pressure.
2. Physical Activity. Consistent physical activity improves the ability of arteries to remain open, thus reducing the pressure inside them. Even daily activities like walking and doing yard work or housework can lower blood pressure.
3. Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Men should have no more than two drinks per day. For women, it is one drink per day. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Alcohol not only contributes directly to hypertension, it can interact with certain blood pressure medications, increasing their side effects.
4. Limit sodium intake. Salt increases blood pressure because it holds extra fluid in the body, causing the heart to work harder. Learn to read food labels and you’ll discover 40 percent of the sodium we eat comes from 10 types of food.
5. Limit Caffeine. Whether in coffee, tea, soft drinks, or chocolate, caffeine can affect your blood pressure. Some people who regularly drink caffeinated beverages develop a tolerance for caffeine, and some people develop a higher average blood pressure due to caffeine’s effects. A person who has hypertension should consult his or her physician as to whether or not to limit or stop consuming caffeine.
6. Don’t smoke. Smoking damages arteries and veins, and raises the risk of heart disease. The chemicals in tobacco products also produce elevated blood pressure.
7. Manage stress. Stress will cause blood pressure to spike. Overeating, drinking alcohol, and smoking as coping medicines for stress can contribute significantly to hypertension.
8. Monitor your blood pressure. Home blood pressure monitors will help in determining if hypertension is being managed successfully. It is a good idea to take the machine to your physician’s office and check it against the blood pressure readings you receive there. Keep in mind, your blood pressure readings will vary, depending upon many factors. (See above).
9. Stay in contact with your physician. Provide your physician with information like what your blood pressure readings have been at home, what lifestyle changes you have made, and confirm what medications you are currently taking.
10. Take medications as prescribed.  Your prescription medications must be taken as directed to be fully effective. If, however, you feel a medication is having adverse effects on your health, immediately contact your physician. Do not quit taking medication without a physician consultation. Also, stick with any recommendations your physician makes about diet and exercise.
11. Maintain or begin a healthy diet. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a healthy eating plan to help treat or prevent high blood pressure. The diet is rich in foods that include potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which help control hypertension. It limits foods high in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.

DASH includes the following foods:

• Grains
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Fat-free or low-dairy products
• Lean meats, poultry and fish
• Nuts, seeds, legumes

Studies have shown that DASH can lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks, and lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Stay on Track

Because hypertension often has no symptoms, it is easy to ignore. That means managing it requires an extra amount of self-discipline and self-awareness. You owe this effort and commitment to your loved ones, and to yourself.

If you need additional information on senior health and wellness, visit our blog.