THESE HIGH NUMBERS COULD TAKE YOU DOWN

Higher numbers on high blood pressure

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Research indicates more Americans know they have high blood pressure. Survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 26 percent reported high blood pressure in 2005, 28 percent in 2009.

But many people don’t know because high blood pressure does not produce symptoms in most cases. It takes a blood pressure check to find out.

People can act to control blood pressure. At the CDC, Dr. Fleetwood Loustalot says this includes not smoking, and having healthy, low-sodium eating patterns. Also:

“Exercise regularly. Current guidelines recommend that we get about 150 minutes a week of physical activity, but some activity is always better than none.”

However, some people need medication to manage the condition.

A study on high blood pressure is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: June 3, 2013