DO YOU KNOW YOUR NUMBERS?

All registered nurses know that high blood pressure contributes to cardiovascular disease –which is the #1 killer of adults in the United States each year.  It is so important that each individual know what their blood pressure numbers are –and understand the meaning of these numbers.  So when was the last time you had your blood pressure checked?  How about your family and friends?  It is easy to think that our family and friends know how important it is to have our blood pressure within the “normal” limits –yet, most do not understand what blood pressure (BP) is and what their numbers should be.  It is our responsibility, as registered nurses, to educate and motivate our family, our friends, our peers and our patients to monitor their BP and do whatever it takes to maintain a healthy goal. Please share the following information:

What is High Blood Pressure:

Your heart will beat 100,000 times today. That's 100,000 times your high blood pressure could be damaging the tiny blood vessels leading to your eyes, heart, brain and kidneys.

Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood through your body's blood vessels - all 60,000 or so miles of them. Types of blood vessels are arteries, veins and capillaries.

The force of blood against the inside walls of your vessels plus your blood vessels' resistance to blood flow create blood pressure. If blood pressure is too great, it can damage the vessels and restrict blood flow to vital organs. In time, high blood pressure that isn't low enough (140/90 and up) may result in eye and kidney damage, stroke, heart failure and other serious problems.

New medical guidelines state that a normal blood pressure for most adults is less than 120/80. Drug Treatment is recommended if your blood pressure is at or above 140/90.¹

For people with diabetes, drug treatment is recommended if your blood pressure is at or above 130/80.¹

For most people with high blood pressure, the exact cause is unknown.

However, if you have high blood pressure, it may be due to some or all of the following:

§        Blood vessels that are too narrow, which makes the heart work harder to push blood through them.

§        Blood vessels that are stiff and can't expand when blood is pushed through them.

§         Blood with excessive sodium and water. This increases the amount of fluid in the blood, so when your heart pumps your blood through your body, the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels increases.

Blood pressure readings are shown as two numbers. These numbers show how hard your blood is pushing against the inside walls of your blood vessels. This is how a health care provider can tell if you have blood pressure that is too high.

Just because you're on medication doesn't mean you're not at risk.

§        Almost 50% of people on blood pressure medicine still have numbers that are too high. That's why it's important to get a medicine that lowers your blood pressure to a healthy level as determined by your health care provider.

§        If your blood pressure numbers aren't low enough, your blood pressure could be damaging the blood vessels that lead to their eyes, heart, brain and kidneys.

§        This can cause serious irreversible damage to these vital organs.

Talk to your health care provider to learn your blood pressure goal.

What is a Good Blood Pressure Reading for You?

A blood pressure reading is shown as two numbers. These numbers measure the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels. The two numbers are usually written as a fraction, such as 140/90 or 160/110.

The top number of your blood pressure reading measures the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels when your heart is pumping blood to your organs. Your health care provider may refer to your top number as your systolic pressure.

The bottom number of your blood pressure reading measures the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels when your heart is between beats and resting. This number is known as your diastolic pressure.

Your top blood pressure number is often a stronger indicator of how at risk you may be for organ damage.

New medical guidelines state that a normal blood pressure for most adults is less than 120/80. Drug Treatment is recommended if your blood pressure is at or above 140/90.¹

For people with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, drug treatment is recommended for a blood pressure level of 130/80 or higher.¹

According to the most recent blood pressure guidelines¹:

§        For individuals aged 40 to 70 years, each 20/10 mm Hg increase in blood pressure doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, beginning at a blood pressure of 115/75.

This means that if your blood pressure is 155/95, you are 4 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than someone with a blood pressure of 115/75.

Listed below are the categories of blood pressure levels as determined by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure.

Note: Blood pressure that is too low can be dangerous.

Managing your numbers can mean controlling your risk for damage!  Nearly 65 million Americans –one in three adults –have high blood pressure.  It is estimated that roughly 70 percent of people with high blood pressure do not have their condition under control.

It is estimated that, on average, high blood pressure contributes to the deaths of almost 30 people every hour of every day!

So what is the Georgia Nurses Association doing?

It is our responsibility to educate the public!  Having your BP close to your goal –is not good enough!  Even slight elevations can significantly increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Through education on the benefits of dietary changes and exercising, many individuals can control their blood pressure without medication.  But if their health care provider deems the necessity of medication—please reinforce the appropriate dosage and directions for taking the medications.  Also remember that it can take a few different combinations of medications to truly regulate the BP to the appropriate goal.

Encourage everyone you know to have their BP checked and to keep to their goals.  Volunteer to help take BPs whenever and wherever possible.  If you need assistance, please contact me at leasterly@hhc.org or check the following web site:  www.healthybp.com.

On November 18^th and 19^th, nurses and nursing students participated in the Healthy Blood Pressure Campaign sponsored by the Georgia Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association and funded by Novartis.  These nurses/nursing students took blood pressures at the Plaza by the World of Coke.  The clientele was a varied cross-section of our society – from executives to the homeless –and all groups had some cases of high blood pressure.  Even the reporters covering the story were surprised at their BP numbers. An ambulance was needed to assist one individual who was suffering many serious signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease, along with extremely high BP.

The following were the volunteers that assisted in this project:

Anjli Aurora

Amy Ashmore

Barbara Browning

Endre V. Brown

Stephanie Burleson

Myra Carmon

Lyndy Croft

Martha Eggleston

Echo Fredrickson

Janet Gammage

Constance Graves

Brittani Hawk

Julie Martinez

Mary Paramoire

Claudette Rainey

Alexis Statia

Julia Stear

JoAnn Trammell

Nancy Trivett

Linda Vrooman

Benson Wright

It is very important that WE ALL work on our BP numbers and make sure that we are motivating and monitoring our family, our friends and our patients.  By working on this ONE health issue – registered nurses will make a major difference in the health status of Georgians!  Know your numbers!!

Linda R. Easterly RN

President, Georgia Nurses Association

1. National Institute of Health. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure.