Healthy Living for Elders: High Blood Pressure
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Healthy Living for Elders: High Blood Pressure

   

Healthy Living for Elders: High Blood Pressure1

Leigh Ann Martin2

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is increased pressure of blood on the blood vessels. This creates more work for the heart. Another name for high blood pressure is hypertension. About 50 million Americans may have hypertension. Many are not even aware they have a problem.

Hypertension can cause:

• Atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of blood vessels)

• Heart attack

• Stroke

• Kidney failure

• Damage to the eyes

Am I at risk?

You are at higher risk of developing hypertension if you:

• are African American

• are a man

• are 45 years of age or older

• eat a high salt diet

• are overweight

• had a parent with hypertension

• drink large amounts of alcohol

• are not physically active

Take A Closer Look:

Check Your Blood Pressure:

Regular blood pressure check-ups help your doctor detect or monitor hypertension. Have your blood pressure checked by a health professional at least once a year. The ENAFS "Keep Track of Your Blood Pressure" log can help you monitor your blood pressure in between doctors visits.

Footnotes

1. This document, FCS8599-Eng, is one in a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Publication date: March 2004. This leaflet was developed with funding from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs in partnership with state, county, and local agencies. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ufl.edu

2. Leigh Ann Martin, MESS., former ENAFS project coordinator, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Reviewed by Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, professor, University of Florida.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.


Copyright Information

This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.