And it doesn’t require a scale!
The #1 health factor you should be monitoring. Hint: it doesn’t require a scale!
In an ideal world, we would measure many different health factors regularly and from home. However, the most often measured biometric, by far, is our weight. Weight provides little information about our general health and, therefore, does not rank among the top three factors we should monitor. What is in the top three, you ask? Well, top of the list of health factors you should be monitoring… blood pressure.
Blood Pressure Basics
Blood pressure can easily be monitored at home and gives significant insight into our general health. You probably already have some sense of what blood pressure is but you may be wondering just why it’s so important. You may not have appreciated all of the information that physicians can gain by taking your blood pressure, so let’s talk about what it is and why it’s so important to monitor.
How Blood Pressure Works
When your heart muscles contract, they force blood out of the heart into blood vessels called arteries. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, either to the lungs or to the rest of the body. The pressure exerted on arteries is quite high, especially on the large artery called the aorta. Elastin in the arteries allows them to stretch to accommodate the high pressure, kind of like a rubber band. When the heart relaxes, the stretched elastin springs back.
The two numbers of a blood pressure measurement include a high number, systolic pressure, and a low number, diastolic pressure. For example, 120/70. The systolic number is measured when the heart contracts, forcing blood against the arteries and causing them to stretch. The diastolic number is measured when the arteries spring back as the heart relaxes.
Elevated Blood Pressure
Elevated blood pressure, hypertension, is normal in many cases, like when you’re exercising. However, chronically elevated blood pressure is extremely damaging to the blood vessels. Organs that suffer the most from high blood pressure include the heart, brain, and kidneys.
So why is blood pressure a good window into your health?
It might be kind of obvious, but the longer you’ve had elevated blood pressure, the more likely you have vessel damage. The increased pressure on the vessels causes atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries. This hardening narrows the vessels causing greater pressure. And while the heart, brain, and kidneys all suffer as a result, so do other tissues.
Elevated blood pressure can also tell us a little about what’s going on to cause the increase. As we age, our arteries naturally lose their ability to stretch. This loss of elasticity results in a higher systolic pressure and a normal diastolic pressure. For example 150/75. Seeing your systolic pressure inching up over the years can be a sign of aging, but lifestyle factors can help slow that progression.
So, if you have normal blood pressure, everything is great, right? Well, no. Having normal blood pressure is incredibly important, but it is not the only measure of good health.
Here are blood pressure ranges defined by the World Health Organization. Ranges vary a bit by country.
Normal: <130/85 mmHg (millimeters of mercury – a pressure until)
High-normal: 130–139/85–89 mmHg
Grade 1 hypertension: 140–159/90–99 mmHg
Grade 2 hypertension: ≥160/100 mmHg)
If you regularly have high-normal or above blood pressure readings, talk to your doctor. The earlier you get it under control, the less damage it is likely to do.
Until Next time, stay well!
Dr. Tobi