Hypertension: The “Silent Killer”

Contributed by: Jessica Koerner, Pharm.D.

Community Pharmacy Resident

Text Box: Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition that affects nearly 1 in 3 adults in the United States or approximately 65 million individuals, with an additional 59 million adults considered to have prehypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to serious long-term complications including atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and retinopathy which can result in loss of eye sight. Most people have no symptoms when they have high blood pressure, and this may lead to a serious complication being the first sign. Many of the serious complications can be fatal resulting in hypertension being known as the “silent killer;” blood pressure monitoring throughout a person’s life is the key to early detection and prevention down the road. What is Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is the force of the blood against the wall of the arteries which is created by the heart as it pumps blood throughout the body. It is determined by measuring the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic blood pressure (as the heart relaxes). In order to get an accurate blood pressure reading you should be resting for at least five minutes and avoid smoking, eating or exercising at least 30

Text Box: minutes prior to taking a reading, because all of these factors can influence the accuracy of the reading. Also, a classification of hypertension cannot be made from one elevated reading, two or more readings are necessary for diagnosis. What can I do if I have hypertension? Everyday lifestyle modifications can help prevent and decrease existing high blood pressure. Eating a heart healthy diet known as the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) eating plan which is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat as well as rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables is one modification that has proven success. In addition, limiting sodium intake to less than 2,400 milligrams or even 1,500 milligrams daily can have a tremendous affect on lowering blood pressure. Some tips for this include avoiding canned and frozen foods when possible and putting the salt shaker in the cabinet during meals. Other recommendations to improve blood pressure include exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and utilizing stress management or relaxation techniques.

Text Box: What if diet and exercise aren’t enough? Mediations known as antihypertensives are commonly used to get high blood pressure under control when lifestyle modifications can’t do the trick. Many different classes of antihypertensives are available and some of the most commonly used include: diuretics, ACE Inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. Always be sure to ask your pharmacist what to expect when first starting a new blood pressure medication or any time you have a concern about any of the blood pressure medications being taken. Although hypertension affects many people today, proper monitoring and treatment has been proven to result in improved outcomes and significantly reduced long-term complications for those affected. For more information on hypertension, please visit the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org or the American Society of Hypertension at www.ash-us.org, or always feel free to ask your physician or pharmacist.

Classification of Hypertension (Adults 18 & up)
Category	Systolic BP (mm HG)	Diastolic BP (mm Hg)
Normal	<120	<80
Prehypertension	120-139	80-89
Stage I Hypertension	140-159	90-99
Stage II Hypertension	>160	>100
Recommended by the American Heart Association