Answers to frequently asked questions about living with high blood pressure (2024)

High bloodpressureis a common condition in the United States.Almost half (47%¹) of the population has hypertension(a more serious case of high blood pressure) and there is a 90%² lifetime risk of developing hypertension. This means that even if you are middle-aged and have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, there is still a nine in ten chance that you will.

For this reason, it is important that people with high blood pressure, or who know someone with high blood pressure, continue to learn about the condition. Knowledge is powerful for early detection, especially because this condition often presents without symptoms.

Regular visits to your doctor for checkups will also make a significant difference in early detection and treatment.

What is the life expectancy of someone with high blood pressure?

How long can you live with high blood pressure? It depends on. If the condition goes unnoticed and untreated for a long time, it can become increasingly dangerous and possibly even fatal.

On the other hand, the life expectancy of someone with controlled high blood pressure can often extend well into retirement age.

That said, research³ shows that you may live a long life, but it could be five to seven years shorter than people without high blood pressure. Some possible reasons⁴ for this shorter life expectancy include smoking andobesity.

First, if you are a smoker, you are looking at a possible decrease in life expectancy (LE) due to not only conditions associated with smoking, but also increased hypertension caused by smoking. Likewise,obesity can increase blood pressure(blood pressure) to dangerous levels, which can lead to a shorter LE.

There is also an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke in both men and women with hypertension, all of which can be dangerous and even fatal if not properly treated.

Can you live a long life with treated high blood pressure?

It's important to remember that high blood pressure is usually not a death sentence. As long as you work with your doctor regularly to treat and control your blood pressure, you are likely to live a long life. This also includes making significant changes to your health and lifestyle for the better.

According to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), the following changes can be very helpful:

• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week

• Limit salt in your dietand eat more fruits and vegetables

• Drink less alcohol

• Maintain a healthy weightoflose weight to achieve a healthier body mass index(BMI)

• Control your stress as much as possible

• Stop smoking

Will I die early from high blood pressure?

Although early death is not typically attributed to high blood pressure, there are cases where premature death due to high blood pressure is possible. For example, people with blood pressure equal to or higher than 180/120 mm Hg and who are not treated have an 80% greater chance of dying within a year. In these cases there is an average survival rate of only ten months.

There is also an increased risk of developing fatal heart disease (such as heart attacks or arrhythmias) and kidney disease if left untreated for a long time. These can also contribute to an early death.

What can cause high blood pressure?

Some common triggers for high blood pressure may include:

• Being overweight or obese

• A diet high in sodium and low in fruits and vegetables

• The

• Smoking

• Certain health problems

Being overweight or obese

Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for high blood pressure that can be prevented with diabetesHealthy dietand regular exercise.

One study notes that obesity increases the concentration of norepinephrine, a stress hormone that increases blood pressure. Extra fatty tissue affects the kidneys by increasing salt and water retention, which also leads to high blood pressure.

High sodium, low nutrient diets

Many studies have been done on thisassociation between high dietary sodium intake and hypertension. One study⁶ reported that high sodium levels are associated with high blood pressure, morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Limiting your sodium levels if you have hypertension has been shown to effectively lower blood pressure.

On the other hand, another study⁸ found that participants who consumed four or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a lower risk of being diagnosed with hypertension.

The

Another risk factor for developing hypertension is being 65 years or older.

In fact, research has shown that more than 7,000,000 premature deaths and 4.5% of the global burden of disease were due to high blood pressure, with older people more affected.

The report included a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that compared the high rate of hypertension among the elderly at 70% with the much lower 32% among people aged 40 to 59.

Smoking

Smokers also have a higher risk of developing hypertension than non-smokers. A study¹⁰ found that smoking not only takes years off your life expectancy and reduces your quality of life, but lifelong smoking also increases your risk of high blood pressure, respiratory disease and heart attack.

Smoking is strongly associated¹¹ with increased heart rate and blood pressure. The magazine also reported a link tomalignant hypertension, which refers to dangerously high blood pressure that comes on quickly and seemingly out of nowhere.

Malignant hypertension can be fatal if not treated immediately. Therefore, if you have any concerns, please contact your doctor. With timely treatment, you can control the condition.

Health conditions

It is also common for some people to have high blood pressure due to other health problems. At least one in 20¹² cases of high blood pressure is caused by an underlying health condition or medication. Medical conditions often associated with high blood pressure include lupus,obstructive sleep apnea,kidney diseaseand kidney infections,diabetesand an overactive thyroid.

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

Hypertension is commonly referred to as 'the silent killer'.The reason is that there are often no signs or symptomssymptoms associated with high blood pressure. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked. Your doctor can determine if there is a problem with your blood and how to treat it properly.

What should you know about your high blood pressure as you get older?

High blood pressure can be caused by aging, because as we age it is common for our blood vessels to stiffen, causing blood pressure to rise – even in exceptionally healthy individuals.

If you have not developed hypertension by the time you reach your 40s or 50s, it does not guarantee that you will never develop it. High blood pressure is very common, especially as you get older.

Here's some additional information you should know about your high blood pressure as you get older:

The guidelines for high blood pressure were updated in 2017

Eleven health organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, joined in 2017¹³ to change blood pressure guidelines. This means that a blood pressure of 130/80 mm Hg used to not be considered elevated, but now it is.

The guidelines are divided into five blood pressure levels:

1. Normal— <120/<80 mmHg

2. Cancelled— 120-129/<80 mmHg

3. Stage 1 high blood pressure or hypertension— 130-139 of 80-89 mm Hg

4. Stage 2 high blood pressure or hypertension— 140+ of 90+ mm Hg

5. Hypertension crisis(very concerning, contact your doctor immediately) — 180+ and/or >120 mm Hg

The rates for high blood pressure vary by age

Although a general adult average of <120/<80 mm HG is recommended, keep in mind that these numbers depend on several factors. Current health conditions and genetics influence average healthy blood pressure, and age can play a major role.

For some more insight, below is an example of normal blood pressure by age (assuming no other factors play a role).

Men by age:

• 21 to 25 — 120.5/78. 5

• 26 to 30 — 119.5/76.5

• 31 to 35 — 114.5.75.5

• 36 to 40 — 120.5/75.5

• 41 to 45 — 115.5/78.5

• 46 to 50 — 119.5/80.5

• 51 to 55 — 125.5/80.5

• 56 to 60 — 129.5/79.5

• 61 to 65 — 143.5/76.5

Women by age:

• 21 to 25 — 115.5/70.5

• 26 to 30 — 113.5/71.5

• 31 to 35 — 110.5/72.5

• 36 to 40 — 112.5/74.5

• 41 to 45 — 116.5/73.5

• 46 to 50 — 124/78.5

• 51 to 55 — 122.55/74.5

• 56 to 60 — 132.5/78.5

• 61 to 65 — 130.5/77.5

Again, other factors still contribute to these numbers, so while they may apply to some, they may not for others. It is always better to discuss your current blood pressure levels with your doctor and determine the desired values. They have full access to your medical history and conditions, allowing them to provide solutions that specifically contribute to your overall well-being.

What type of diet should I follow if I have high blood pressure or hypertension?

If you arediagnosed with high blood pressureone of the first changes you should make is your diet. Your doctor may advise you to consult a nutritionist to discuss thisimplement the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet into your routine.

The traditional dosage guideline for a patient following the DASH diet consists of daily intake of the following (see the DASH Diet To Stop Hypertension¹⁴ publication for more information):

• Five portions of vegetables

• Five servings of fruit

• About seven servings of carbohydrates

• Two servings of low-fat dairy products

• Two lean meat products or less

• Nuts and seeds two to three times a week

One study¹⁵ found a positive correlation between combining the DASH diet and lowering your sodium intake with healthier blood pressure averages.

Another study¹⁶ discusses the many studies supporting the benefits of a DASH diet since it was first published twenty years ago. The DASH diet is and remains a reliable diet aid that contributes to better blood pressure measurements.

Low

One of the first things most people do when they or someone they know is diagnosed with high blood pressure is read up on it to better understand how it happened and how it can be treated or managed. This is understandable, because knowledge of the condition is very importantlower your blood pressure to a healthy level.

To help you, we've addressed and answered some of the most frequently asked questions about living with high blood pressure. Here is an excerpt of the questions and answers covered:

• What is the life expectancy of someone with high blood pressure?There is no concrete number for life expectancy, but research shows that while you may not live as long as someone who does not have hypertension, you can live a long life with well-controlled high blood pressure.

• Can you live a long life with treated high blood pressure?Likewise, there's no way to guarantee that you will, but it is possible. How long you live with hypertension depends on how well you follow the recommendations your doctor has given you, as well as other conditions in your medical history.

• Will I die early from high blood pressure?Hypertension is usually not a death sentence! However, you can die prematurely if you have untreated blood pressure levels equal to or higher than 180/120 mm Hg, a dangerous condition called malignant hypertension.

• What can cause high blood pressure?Several risk factors are associated with high blood pressure, including age, other health problems, smoking, being overweight and excess sodium in your diet.

• What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?Unfortunately, high blood pressure is often called 'the silent killer' for good reason. It doesn't always cause signs and symptoms, so it's up to you to make regular check-up appointments with your doctor to make sure it doesn't become dangerously high.

• What should you know about your high blood pressure as you get older?Four things you need to know about your blood pressure as you get older. First, your age may be the reason you have hypertension. Secondly, the prevalence of hypertension is 70% in people aged 60 and over. Third, guidelines for high blood pressure have changed over the past five years, creating stricter limits for what is considered normal blood pressure. So an updated version may indicate that you have high blood pressure, even if you did not qualify for the high blood pressure. as before 2017. Finally, your age and gender can affect the blood pressure averages that are considered "normal."

• What type of diet should I follow if I have high blood pressure or hypertension?Experts recommend following the DASH diet if you have high blood pressure. The first publication supporting the DASH diet was introduced more than twenty years ago, and research shows that it remains relevant today.

While these FAQs will give you a more general understanding of hypertension and what to expect from the condition, it is recommendedConsult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. The averages for high blood pressure vary from person to person, so your doctor can find the perfect treatment and management solutions for you based on your medical history.