Reduce your risk for high blood pressure

Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.

But few people understand why — or how — to avoid becoming part of the statistic.

Dr. Soumya Neravetla, cardiothoracic surgeon at Kettering Health, sees patients wrestling to understand this daily, and she wanted to help educate people to improve their heart health.

Why so common?

Patients who consistently have blood pressure readings of 130/80 mm Hg or higher are considered to have hypertension.

But what does a blood pressure reading even mean?

Blood pressure is measured as two numbers: systolic (the top number, when the heart beats) and diastolic (the bottom number, when the heart rests between beats). Together, they represent how much pressure your blood exerts against your artery walls, which is measured in millimeters of mercury, or mm Hg.

The reason experts like Dr.

Neravetla see hypertension as problematic is because it leads to conditions like diabetes, heart attack, stroke, heart disease and heart failure.

“The precursor to almost all of the issues that lead to heart disease is hypertension,” Dr. Neravetla said.

Lifestyle changes and medication can treat hypertension, but limiting your risk is always the best option.

Dr. Neravetla urged everyone to view hypertension as a preventable disease.

How to prevent hypertension

The first step is to know your blood pressure numbers and what they mean. A normal, or healthy, blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mm Hg.

The other blood pressure categories, offered by the AHA, are:

Elevated: 120-129 (systolic) and less than 80 (diastolic)

Hypertension stage one: 130-139 (systolic) or 80-89 (diastolic)

Hypertension stage two: 140 or higher (systolic) or 90 or higher (diastolic)

Hypertensive crisis (consult your doctor immediately): higher than 180 (systolic) and/or higher than 120 (diastolic)

Along with knowing your numbers, Dr. Neravetla stressed what she says most Americans wrestle with: diet.

Shifting our view of diet

Another key component, Dr. Neravetla said, is a largescale shift in how we view salt and its effect on heart health in America.

“Building public sentiment of low-sodium awareness can help bring about change on a population level,” she said. “The more consumers request less-processed, lower sodium options, the more the industry will adapt to that need.”

One of the top tips for a heart healthy diet is to limit (or eliminate) salt. Try replacing salt with natural herbs and spices like garlic, ginger or cilantro, or juices like lemon and lime. Look out for popular foods full of salt like breads, tacos, lunch meat, pizza and soup.

If you want to learn more about your risk for heart disease, then take our quiz online at https://ketteringhealth.org/services/heart-vascular-care/heart-quiz/.