Why you need to check your BP regularly |IMPORTANT READ
Afnews Editor
Apr 01, 2021
High blood pressure (BP) is the silent killer mainly linked to stroke and a number of heart problems. It's the force of blood pressing on the walls of our arteries as it flows through the body. It is measured in two numbers, the higher one being the systolic pressure.
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High blood pressure (hypertension) most often has no symptoms. So, a significant number of people who have it might not realise it. But it's impossible to know which risk factors you are faced with unless you visit the doctor regularly for blood pressure checks and other tests.
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Improve your heart
When you have high blood pressure, you are three times more likely to die from heart disease. Hypertension is caused by hardened arteries and hardened arteries cause hypertension. This is a vicious cycle that you have the power to break.
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Protect your kidneys
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When a person's blood pressure is high, it can stretch the fragile filtering system of the kidneys. Over time, this stretch can become permanent causing the kidneys to be less efficient in filtering your blood. Once this happens, it is known as chronic kidney disease with the end stages requiring costly dialysis or kidney transplants.
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Decrease your chance of a stroke
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Most people who have their first stroke have high blood pressure. A stroke is when an area of your brain is not receiving enough blood, and therefore oxygen, to operate properly. This can be due to a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or an artery that broke (hemorrhagic stroke). Hypertension causes damages to these arteries that make a stroke more likely to happen.
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Reduce out of pocket expenses
Spend a little money now and save a lot later. High blood pressure costs the nation nearly 50 billion dollars each year. By keeping your blood pressure under control now, you can reduce the amount of time you can spend in the hospital and reduce future costs.
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— Afnews Editor