Blood pressure and heart diseases have a strong connection. As per a report of the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the significant causes of death and disability in the United States.
The complications may arise due to abnormally high blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure- The leading cause of heart diseases
High blood pressure is also commonly known as hypertension. It leads to heart diseases that are the primary cause of deaths in the United States.
According to an estimate, about 75 million individuals in the United States have hypertension, leading to heart disease in the long run. Each year, the death toll reaches about 630,000 in the United States. Therefore, it is also termed as “Silent Killer.”
The normal values for systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure are less than 130 mm Hg and 80 mm Hg, respectively. Any change in normal blood pressure values can affect the body adversely.
If the condition remains uncontrolled for long, the symptoms may worsen.
How Can Regular Monitoring Save You From Complications?
Hypertension is known as a silent killer for the reason that it often has no symptoms. You won’t feel the symptoms until your abnormal blood pressure becomes hypertensive.
About 20% of the adults in the United States suffer from hypertension but are not even diagnosed early. So, the disease transforms into severe health conditions such as heart diseases, kidney failure, etc.
According to statistics, more than half a million people in America die from heart disease every year.
To save yourself from such conditions, regular blood pressure monitoring using a blood pressure monitor at home can significantly reduce the risk.
You can assess the changes that you need to make in your lifestyle, prescription, or medication.
Role of pharmacist or doctor in preventing high blood pressure and heart diseases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Management highlights the role pharmacists can play to improve population health.
Pharmacist’s Patient Care Process can significantly help prevent and manage high blood pressure reducing the risk of heart diseases in the United States.
If your regular blood pressure monitoring indicates abnormal blood pressure, you should never start any drugs without consulting a pharmacist or doctor.
They can help you to get better again by:
Regular Counseling for A Better Lifestyle
An unhealthy lifestyle is a leading cause of high blood pressure and heart diseases. A pharmacist or doctor may guide you to change your lifestyle habits for controlling hypertension, and these changes may include:
- Maintaining a healthy body weight.
- Exercise regularly to have an active lifestyle.
- Avoiding smoking and alcohol.
- Eating more vegetables and fruits.
- Avoiding sodium intake in the diet.
Switching Medications as Needed
You can’t change medications yourself. Just because you heard about a drug’s effectiveness for someone does mean it will work for you the same way.
A pharmacist or doctor will help you to switch medications after considering your other body conditions as well. They will check the side-effects of the drug before prescribing.
The most common blood pressure drug prescriptions include:
- Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor)
- Metoprolol (a beta-blocker)
- Hydrochlorothiazide (a thiazide diuretic)
They will analyze the patient’s previous medications and his current blood pressure condition to prescribe or change medication.
For example, if a person experiences angioedema (an allergic reaction that results in swelling in deep skin’s layers), he shouldn’t take an ACE inhibitor drug to control hypertension.
A pharmacist or doctor will help him to switch to an effective drug after considering all the risk factors.
Get Rid of the Financial Costs
Every 1 in 3 adults in the United States has hypertension. According to the survey, a hypertensive person faces a financial burden of nearly $2000, much higher than non-hypertensive patients.
On account of this, prevention and management to avoid hypertension are the only suggestions of healthcare professionals.
A regular monitoring and consultancy session with a pharmacist or doctor can help you get rid of many difficulties. Start precaution today for long and healthy life.
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