Heart Disease: Blood Pressure
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the
force of blood against the walls of arteries. High blood pressure means the
heart is straining and working to pump blood. In some cases, this can cause the
arteries to harden, the brain to hemorrhage or the kidneys to function poorly
or not at all.
How Can I Reduce My Blood Pressure?
The
American Heart Association provides
these tips:
- Increase physical
activity.
- Eat a healthy diet low
in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt.
- Lose weight if you're
overweight.
- Take medicine the way
your doctor instructs you.
- Limit alcohol to no more
than one drink per day for women or two drinks a day for men.
- Know what your blood
pressure should be and work to keep it at that level.
