High
blood pressure is common. More than 50 million American
adults — 1 in 4 — have high blood pressure.
It is very common in African Americans, who may
get it earlier in life and more often than whites.
Many Americans tend to develop high blood pressure
as they get older, but this is not a part of healthy
aging. Middle-aged Americans face a 90% chance of
developing high blood pressure during their lives.
Others at risk for developing high blood pressure
are the overweight, those with a family history
of high blood pressure, and those with prehypertension
(120–139/80–89 mmHg).
African Americans
High blood pressure occurs more often among African
Americans than whites. It begins at an earlier age
and is usually more severe. Further, African Americans
have a higher death rate from stroke and kidney
disease than whites. The good news is, treatment
can control high blood pressure. In addition, lifestyle
changes can prevent and control high blood pressure.
These include losing weight if overweight (losing
10 lbs can help), increasing physical activity (walking
30 minutes per day can help), following a healthy
eating plan, that emphasizes fruits, vegetables,
and lowfat dairy foods, choosing and preparing foods
with less salt and sodium, and if you drink alcoholic
beverages, drinking in moderation. If lifestyle
changes alone are not effective in keeping your
blood pressure controlled, there are many blood
pressure medications to help you.
