/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25744323/Palma_Hero_2.jpg "Onyx Boox Palma 2 review: a slight upgrade on a great e-reader Canada reviews")
You know by now how important heart health is not just for longevity, but for the quality of the life you’re living right now—but are you aware of just how prevalent cardiovascular issues are? Maybe not: For the past century, heart disease has been the No. 1 cause of death in the United States across every demographic, killing more people than every type of cancer combined, according to the American Heart Association, and more than half of Americans had no idea about it.
What’s even scarier? Many people who have heart health problems don’t even know it until they get severely ill or injured. Find out the heart health issue nearly one in four people don’t even know that they have, plus what to do about it, according to cardiologists.
Related: The One Habit That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure Overnight, According to a Cardiologist
The Heart Health Issue Nearly 1 in 5 People Don’t Know They Have
Get ready for some math: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a two-year long study from of 6,084 participants ages 18 and older found that 48% of participants had high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Out of those 48% people, 40% of them had no idea their blood pressure was high. That means, according to the study, 19.2% of people have hypertension and don’t know it.
This is a case where ignorance most definitely is not bliss, because high blood pressure can lead to some serious cardiac issues down the line. These include angina (chest pain), arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat), dementia, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke, loss of vision and more, many of which can be deadly or debilitating—so it’s really important to know where you stand in terms of your blood pressure and to get it under control if it’s on the higher side.
While your individual threshold may vary, the following guidelines can help you determine whether your blood pressure is in a safe range:
- Normal: < 120 systolic, < 80 diastolic
- Elevated: 120-129 systolic, < 80 diastolic
- High blood pressure (stage 1): 130-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic
- High blood pressure (stage 2): 140-179 systolic or > 90 diastolic
- Hypertensive crisis: > 180 systolic, and/or > 120 diastolic
🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊
What Are Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
What makes high blood pressure particularly dangerous is that for most people, there aren’t any symptoms at all, and many hypertension symptoms can mimic other conditions, like panic attacks. When hypertension is severe, however, you may experience, per the World Health Organization (WHO):
- Anxiety
- Arrhythmia
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Nosebleeds
- Vision changes
- Vomiting
Related: The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do if You Have High Blood Pressure, According to a Cardiologist
How to Treat High Blood Pressure
The good thing about high blood pressure is that once you know you have it, there are steps you can take to get it under control.
Monitor your blood pressure closely with your doctor and at home.
The most important thing to know about high blood pressure is that you must monitor it regularly.
“It is essential that patients with a diagnosis of hypertension keep track of their blood pressure control,” Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, MD, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif., told Parade. “A good blood pressure record helps patients be more aware of their health and lets their physicians know when it may be necessary to adjust their medications.”
Home blood pressure cuffs, as well as devices like smart watches, can help you monitor your blood pressure yourself so you can share your patterns with your doctor as well as determining your own triggers.
Monitoring your blood pressure closely also will help to determine if other measures you take (which we’ll get to in a minute) are effective.
Related: 7 Tricks to Tame Your Blood Pressure Quickly
Switch to a heart-healthy diet.
By now you know that the Mediterranean diet and DASH diets are some of the best on the planet, but if your blood pressure is a major concern, you won’t want to just opt for whole foods and avoid processed foods—you’ll also want to limit your salt intake, Dr. Chen advises. This is because excess sodium can send your blood pressure skyrocketing.
Related: 25 Best Foods for High Blood Pressure
Manage stress to the best of your ability.
Listen, we live in a really dark timeline right now, so we absolutely get that stress is a given for most of us. That said, managing stress the best that you can will do wonders not just for your mental health, but also for your blood pressure. Dr. Chen recommends mindfulness activities like meditation to get centered and reset your body and mind from, well, just about everything right now.
Related: 5-Minute Breathing Exercise to Lower Blood Pressure
Get moving.
Exercising regularly is great for your heart and your blood pressure. It’s also beneficial to your mental health and can help you reduce stress, which, in turn, can reduce your blood pressure even further.
Related: 19 Workouts That Are Great for Your Heart
Drop your vices.
Remember how we mentioned we get that things are really stressful right now? It can be tempting to pop a bottle of wine, throw back a shot or smoke a cigarette to escape. However, none of those will make your problems actually go away, and they’ll all make your blood pressure worse, according to Dr. Chen. If you need help to kick a bad habit, don’t be afraid to talk to a doctor or mental health provider. There’s no shame in taking care of yourself, and your heart (and your blood pressure) will be all the better for it.
Related: Want to Prevent Heart Disease? A Huge Study Says This Is the Exact Blood Pressure You Should Aim For
Use medication as prescribed.
If your doctor prescribes you blood pressure medication, make sure you take it according to your doctor’s instructions. There may be specific times or conditions in which your physician says it’s best for you specifically that may vary from others, so be sure to ask.
Related: The Best Time to Take Blood Pressure Medication, According to Cardiologists
Get a dog.
No, seriously: Several studies have shown that dog owners have lower blood pressure than non-dog owners. What’s more, Fido can make you get moving with regular walks, too—so they’ll benefit your blood pressure while also making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Here are just a few places where you can adopt your new heart-healthy best friend.
Up Next:
Related: Why You Need to Keep Blood Pressure Low for a Sharper Mind
Sources
- Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, MD
- Fryar CD, Kit B, Carroll MD, Afful J. “Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control among adults age 18 and older: United States, August 2021–August 2023.” NCHS Data Brief, no 511. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2024.
- “Get Healthy, Get a Dog: The Health Benefits of Canine Companionship.” Harvard Medical School.
- Hypertension. World Health Organization.
- More than half of U.S. adults don’t know heart disease is leading cause of death, despite 100-year reign.” American Heart Association.
