Is Your Blood Pressure Under Control?

 

Last week, we participated in our annual blood pressure screenings for Million Hearts Week. We went to 3 pharmacies and conducted over 30 blood pressure screenings

 

  New guidelines for the management of blood pressure were recently released. MOD went through the guidelines and created a new chart for patients to determine their blood pressure goals. The treatment goals listed below are for people who are diagnosed with hypertension. Note that if you have Diabetes, your blood pressure goal is probably less than 140 over 90. If you are over 60 years old and don't have diabetes, your goal might be less than 150 over 90. Consult your doctor to determine what blood pressure goals are right for you.

 

 

MOD does blood pressure screenings

MOD conducted blood pressure screenings at Professional Pharmacy and at a local health fair as part of the Million Hearts Initiative. The initiative is to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.

It is especially important for people with diabetes to control their blood pressure.

 

 

Below you can see a section of the fact sheet from the million hearts website. It explains what the blood pressure numbers mean. People can reduce their blood pressure by eating less salt. Try to eat no more than 1500mg of sodium a day. That is less than 1 teaspoon of salt! Most people with high blood pressure need 2 or 3 medicines to lower it. Work with your pharmacist and doctor to find the medications that are best for you.