Know Your Numbers
Help maintain your health by paying attention to your blood pressure
How does high blood pressure impact your health?
- Blood pressure is the force caused by blood travelling through the body. When blood pressure is high (hypertension), the heart has to pump harder, increasing the risk of damage to the heart and blood vessels in major organs such as the brain and kidneys.
- High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, like strokes and heart attacks. In fact, hypertension is behind half of all preventable strokes.
- Hypertension is a silent killer because in its early stages, it rarely causes symptoms, and many people go undiagnosed.
- Hypertension may impact your hearing and vision.
- Hypertension may lead to an accelerated decline in memory, judgement, thinking and language.
- Hypertension is behind 40 per cent of all dementia cases.
What do the numbers mean?
If you haven’t gotten your blood pressure measured, visit a primary health care facility in your community to obtain an accurate blood pressure reading.
These blood pressure targets are for adults with no other health conditions. If you have hypertension (blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg), you should seek advice from a health professional.
How can you control your blood pressure?
EXERCISE
The Canadian Guidelines for Physical
Activity recommend Canadian adults
get at least 150 minutes of moderate
to vigorous exercise weekly
HEALTHY DIET
Heart healthy eating includes a
diet low in saturated fat, salt and
sugar with plenty of whole grains,
vegetables and fruit
MANAGE STRESS
Find out what is causing stress in
your life and look for healthy ways
to relieve and reduce its harmful
effects.
MyHealth Alberta offers some tips to help manage stress here.
AVOID ALCOHOL & TOBACCO
Quitting tobacco use is one of the
most important things you can do
for your health
Let's Talk Cholesterol
Unhealthy cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Improving these levels reduces your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.