1) Blood pressure is easy not to think or care about. For the most part, our blood pressure does not affect our daily lives. This is why high blood pressure is called the “silent killer.”
2) According to a World Health Organization report from 2009, high blood pressure is the leading risk for death worldwide and is estimated to be responsible for 13% of all deaths globally. 3) The story at the link that appears in the Wall Street Journal today describes some of the health behaviors and risks associated with high blood pressure (check out the infographic). The risk that jumps out at me as having the clearest relationship between individuals with normal blood pressure, those that are prehypertensive (pre high BP), and those that are hypertensive is body mass index or BMI (this is just a measure of body weight as a function of height). Individuals with high blood pressure are also more likely to be smokers and to not get regular exercise. So, having a BMI in the normal range for your age and sex might not only make you feel more healthy and attractive, but it might actually prolong your life. If you haven’t had your blood pressure taken in a while, try to get it read. A number of drug stores these days have machines that will take your blood pressure for free or at very low cost. You can also get your blood pressure read for free at any Red Cross location or blood drive when you try to donate blood. Giving blood is a good way to monitor your blood pressure over time, to do a good deed for others who need blood transfusions, and to encourage your body to make new blood cells. In health,Larry