February is American Heart Month
Did You Know?
1 in 3 Americans has high blood pressure. What’s more, only half of those people with high blood pressure have it under control. High blood pressure, known as Hypertension, increases risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. The good news is just 5 mmHg decrease in blood pressure can reduce mortality from heart disease and stroke by 9% and 14%, respectively (INTERSALT, Hypertension, 1991).
What is Blood Pressure?
When your heart beats, it pumps blood around your body. As blood moves, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is too high, it puts strain on your arteries and heart.
Systolic and Diastolic Measures
Systolic blood pressure (top number) tells the pressure of your blood pushing against your artery walls as the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) tells the pressure of your blood pushing against your artery walls as the heart rests between beats.
Normal
Systolic mmHg 120 or less
Diastolic mmHg 80 or less
Pre-Hypertension
Systolic mmHg 121-139
Diastolic mmHg 81-89
Hypertension – Stage 1
Systolic mmHg 140-159
Diastolic mmHg 90-99
Hypertension – Stage 2 – call your doctor immediately!
Systolic mmHg 160 or more
Diastolic mmHg 100 or more
Prevention is Key
High blood pressure often presents with no signs or symptoms. Keep it under control with regular readings – you can get screened at your doctor’s office, at many local drug stores or even check it yourself using a home monitor. And these seven steps, provided by the American Heart Association can help you prevent cardiovascular disease and improve heart health.
The Y Can Help
We offer various programs and classes designed to help you promote health and prevent or manage disease, including:
* In-person facilities
* Online group exercise classes
* Outdoor adventures
* On-Demand Meditations
* Workouts of the Week
* Packaged Wellness Experiences
Learn more about our Community Initiatives and everything we’re doing to promote a Healthy Future for our Youth.
