High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is called the "silent killer" because it sneaks up on us as quietly as a thief in the night. When we least expect it, it delivers a blow that many will never recover from.  

Let me share a few facts to help you better see into the evil workshop of this deadly disease.

• 41.8% of all African-American men 20 years or older have high blood pressure.
• 45.4% of all African-American women 20 years or older have high blood pressure.

Let me give you a simple way to see the size of this. If you were to stand on any random street and count the African-Americans who walked by over a period of time, 4 out of 10 of them would suffer from high blood pressure. African-Americans have some of the highest rates of elevated blood pressure not just in the US, but the entire world.

What exactly is high blood pressure? Your blood travels to the various organs in our bodies through tiny blood vessels. These little tubes or blood vessels are critical, because they are like the highways for blood. If they become blocked or damaged, then you have all kinds of problems, just the way you would if you were driving down a three-lane expressway and two of the lanes were closed down due to construction. The blood vessels become stiff and narrow, and the blood has a hard time squeezing through the tight space and puts pressure on the walls of the tubes that are carrying it.  If not treated properly, this pressure causes problems such as an enlarged heart, stroke, and kidney disease.

Take a look below at the numbers and see if you are on the verge of high blood pressure or you already have it. 

American Heart Association recommended blood pressure levels:

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic (Upper Number)		Diastolic (Lower Number)
Normal	less than 120	and	less than 80
Prehypertension	120-139	or	80-89
High
Stage 1	140-159	or	90-99
Stage 2	160 or higher	or	100 or higher

Are you at risk for high blood pressure?  Check out the risk factors below.

High blood pressure needs to be treated early and effectively because it can lead to several other problems, including: heart attack, stroke, enlarged heart, kidney disease, blindness, and reduced brain function. Many people can go for years with high blood pressure and not even know they have it. (Remember, that’s why it’s called the "silent killer.") The only real way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured by a trained healthcare professional who has the best equipment and skills to test you.

The reason you’ve joined THE CHALLENGE is to improve your health. Here are some of things you can do to prevent or control high blood pressure.