Patient Education

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More than 50 million Americans are estimated to have hypertension, or high blood pressure; abnormally high pressure in the arteries. It occurs more often in blacks and older people, in about 3/4 of women and almost 2/3 of men over age 75, and is twice as common among people who are obese. Because it doesn’t cause symptoms for many years, it’s called "the silent killer." ¹

High blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure at rest averaging 140mm Hg or more, a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90mm Hg or more, or both (140/90). The higher the pressure, the greater the risk. Untreated high blood pressure increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease (heart failure, heart attack, or sudden cardiac death), kidney failure or stroke at an early age and is the most important risk for stroke. But high blood pressure is one of three risk factors for heart attack that can be modified with medication and lifestyle changes. ¹

Controlling high blood pressure with medication and lifestyle changes

Doctors have a wide range of medications to choose from to treat hypertension including diuretics, adrenergic blockers, central acting alpha-agonists, ACE inhibitors, angiotension II blockers, calcium channel blockers, and direct vasodilators.¹ They can tailor treatment to the individual patient and can often prescribe a drug that controls blood pressure, produces minimal side effects, and, hopefully, protects against complications.² According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information, calcium channel blockers are especially useful for blacks, older people, and people who have angina pectoris, certain types of rapid heart rate, or migraine headaches.¹

Lifestyle changes include losing weight, cutting back on alcohol and moderate aerobic exercise.¹

The DASH diet

Research has shown that following a healthy eating plan can both reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower an already elevated blood pressure.³ Many experts on hypertension recommend the DASH diet, which is scientifically proven to lower weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels as it lowers sodium levels.³

You can read about the DASH diet at Web MD in their Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Guide at
www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/default.htm.

A fact sheet on the Dash Diet for hypertension is available from www.mercksource.com and information for shopping and cooking for the diet is available from www.mayoclinic.com/health/dash-diet/HI00020. To get your 56 page comprehensive copy of Facts about the DASH Eating Plan, download the PDF at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/index.htm

To learn more about hypertension, the following resources are available on the internet:

The Department of Health and Human Services-National Institute of Health has practical tools for patients, including a blood pressure wallet card and a guide to lowering blood pressure.
Available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension.

The MerckSource Healthtools High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Guide is online at
www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_health_tools.jsp

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association offer a range of Patient Information, Patient Information Sheets, and Patient Programs and websites. To access them, go to www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3004200

Womanheart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease has support groups, a bulletin board, newsletter, an art gallery, and much more. At www.womenheart.org

References

1. Beers, MH Ed. The Merck Manual of Medical Information. Second Home Edition. 2003: Pocket Books: New York
2. Medication and Hypertension. Harvard Health Reports: MerckSource. Retrieved online at www/mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/ cns_Harvard-health-reports.j...3/19/07 6:42 PM.
3. Your Guide to owering High Blood Pressure. Healthy Eating. Retrieved online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/h_eating/h_eating.htm...6/13/07 10:30 AM.