My Diabetes Project – High Blood Pressure
Diabetes information and services in Europe for women and their families is coordinated by the:
European Institute of Women’s Health – EIWH
The force of blood flow inside your blood vessels is known as blood pressure. As your heart works harder when you have high blood pressure, you have a greater risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and other issues like eye problems and kidney disease.
Our blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, like 120/80, both of which are important. The first number, called the systolic pressure, is the pressure as our hearts beat and push blood through our blood vessels.
The second number, called the diastolic pressure, is the pressure when our vessels relax between heartbeats.
A healthy blood pressure is:
below 120/80;
early high blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90;
and
high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
The most effective treatments for high blood pressure are lifestyle changesinclude:
- eating better,
- exercising more,
- losing weight and
- avoiding alcohol and tobacco.
You can sometimes take medications like ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics that can help lower blood pressure.