Health Champion Blog

When the heart stops ticking, so do we. That’s the plain and simple truth. So let’s work at keeping it healthy for as long as possible. No lectures here. Just a couple of reminders and a new way of looking at things. For instance, contrary to popular assumption, heart disease is not the result of isolated, unconnected diseases; rather it runs along a continuum. And it starts with high blood pressure.

Known as the Silent Killer, high blood pressure can start in teens or early adulthood, generally has no symptoms, and can go undetected for years. Left untreated, it only gets worse. And so does your risk of stroke, heart attack and death.

Quick Review:

Your heart beats rhythmically, transporting blood through arteries and veins, stopping by the lungs to pick up oxygen and then moving on, delivering oxygen-ripe blood throughout your body, returning to the lungs and beginning the journey once again. All day. All night. This elegant system of pressure and movement keeps us alive and healthy.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure makes the heart work harder. The harder it works, the larger and less efficient it becomes, resulting in irregular heat beats (arrhythmias), blood clots — which  can block veins and arteries or break off and travel to your lungs or brain — and even  heart failure.

Think of high blood pressure as the beginning of heart disease — the beginning of a story where you can help write the ending with healthy behavior. Have regular check ups. Take medication if required, even if you have no symptoms. Exercise. Lay off salt. Eat well. And pay attention to the other risk factors along the continuum. Next time we talk about hearts, we’ll examine cholesterol.

Meanwhile, remember that in 2006 high blood pressure killed 56,561 people across the U.S. It’s time to change those numbers. If you’re going to be a statistic, be a good one! Start by taking care of your blood pressure.