One in 3 American adults have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk for serious health problems, including stroke and heart attack.
Get your blood pressure checked regularly starting at age 18 – and do your best to keep track of your blood pressure numbers.
Your risk for high blood pressure goes up as you get older. You are also at higher risk for high blood pressure if you:
A blood pressure test measures how hard your heart is working to pump blood through your body.
Blood pressure is measured with 2 numbers. The first number is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number is the pressure in your arteries between beats, when your heart relaxes.
Compare your blood pressure to these numbers:
If you have high blood pressure, it is important to get routine medical care and to follow your prescribed treatment plan, which will include heart-healthy lifestyle changes and possibly medicines. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes can prevent high blood pressure, reduce elevated blood pressure, help control existing high blood pressure, and prevent complications, such as heart attack, heart failure, stroke, vascular dementia, or chronic kidney disease.
Ask your doctor about things you can do to reduce your risk. You can find common questions to ask your provider here.
A stroke is sometimes called a “brain attack.” A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked, which can hurt or kill cells in the brain.
Stroke is a leading cause of death in adults. It’s also a common cause of brain damage and long-term disability.
A stroke can cause long-term problems like:
The number one risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure. High blood pressure has no signs or symptoms, so it’s important to get your blood pressure checked regularly.
Ask your doctor how often you need to get your blood pressure checked. You can also ask whether measuring your blood pressure at home is right for you.
Other risk factors for stroke include:
A stroke usually happens suddenly – and with little warning. Signs of a stroke include:</p
Having a stroke is a medical emergency. Call 911 right away if you or someone else shows signs of stroke. Your chances of surviving and recovering from a stroke are better if you get emergency treatment right away.
A mini-stroke has the same symptoms as a stroke, but the symptoms don’t last as long. A min-stroke is also called a TIA, which stands for transient ischemic attack.
A TIA happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked for a short period of time – usually a couple of minutes. If you’ve had a TIA, you are at greater risk for having a larger stroke.
Never ignore a TIA. Call 911 right away if you or someone else shows signs of stroke.
Take these steps today to reduce your risk of stroke.
Ask your doctor about taking aspirin every day.
It’s important to get your cholesterol checked regularly. Too much cholesterol in your blood can cause a heart attack or a stroke.
The good news is that it’s easy to get your cholesterol checked. If your cholesterol is high, you can take steps to lower it – like eating healthy, getting more physical activity, and taking medicine if your doctor recommends it.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance (material) that’s found naturally in your blood. Your body makes cholesterol and uses it to do important things, like making hormones and digesting fatty foods.
You also raise your cholesterol by eating foods like egg yolks, fatty meats, and cheese.
If you have too much cholesterol in your body, it can build up inside your blood vessels and make it hard for blood to flow through them. Over time, this can lead to heart disease and heart attack or stroke.
What do the test results mean?
If you get a lipid profile test, the results will show 4 numbers. A lipid profile measures:
Total cholesterol is a measure of all the cholesterol in your blood. It’s based on the LDL, HDL, and triglycerides numbers.
LDL cholesterol is the “bad” type of cholesterol that can block your arteries – so a lower level is better for you.
HDL cholesterol is the “good” type of cholesterol. It helps clear LDL cholesterol out of your arteries, so a higher level is better for you. Having a low HDL cholesterol level can increase your risk for heart disease.
Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood that can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
LDL cholesterol levels tend to increase as people get older. Other causes of high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels include:
As your LDL cholesterol gets higher, so does your risk of heart disease. Take these steps to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease:
Ask your doctor about things you can do to reduce your risk. You can find common questions to ask your provider here.
If you are a man age 65 to 75 and have ever smoked, ask your doctor about getting screened (tested) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
Men over age 65 who have smoked at any point in their lives have the highest risk of AAA. Both men and women can have AAA, but it’s more common in men.
Risk factors for AAA include:
The aorta is your body’s main artery. An artery is a blood vessel (or tube) that carries blood from your heart. The aorta carries blood from your heart to your abdomen, pelvis, and legs.
If the wall of your aorta is weak, it can swell like a balloon. This balloon-like swelling is called an aneurysm. AAA is an aneurysm that occurs in the part of the aorta running through the abdomen.
Aneurysms usually grow slowly without any symptoms. When aneurysms grow large enough to rupture (burst), they can cause dangerous bleeding inside the body that can lead to death.
If AAA is found early, it can be treated before it bursts. That’s why it’s so important to talk to your doctor if you may be at risk.
Take these steps to lower your risk for AAA.
Talk with your doctor about your risk for AAA.
Here are some questions you might want to ask your doctor or nurse:
Here’s an example of what AAA looks like inside the body:
Make changes to lower your risk for AAA.
It’s never too late to take steps to lower your risk for AAA.