Why is it Important to Keep a Normal Blood Pressure?

Why is it Important to Keep a Normal Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure or hypertension is defined as a reading greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg.
An increase in blood pressure causes blood to flow through your arteries with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries and blood vessels, stretching them past their healthy limit which could lead to blockages, blood clots and hardened arteries. In the event of a hemorrhagic brain stroke, blood vessels burst from the elevated pressure. 

High blood pressure can often show no symptoms, particularly in the early stages, and can quietly damage your body for years.
Increased blood pressure is the second leading risk factor for death and disability globally according to the Global Burden of Disease Study.
Thus, it is important to keep your blood pressure under control, even when you are feeling well. Feeling well doesn’t mean you are not at risk - many people are unaware of having high blood pressure until they are presented with its complications such as a heart attack, stroke or kidney failure.
A healthy blood pressure also means less complications and quicker recovery from other health problems such as a flu.

According to a research published in The Lancet, if hypertensive patients were able to control their systolic blood pressure (BP) to 140 mmHg, many risks can be reduced after just six months, including:
- 24% reduction in cardiac events
- 40% reduction in stroke
- 21% reduction in all-cause mortality

Nowadays, keeping your blood pressure in check is made easier with home blood pressure monitoring. Over the last two decades, considerable evidence of home blood pressure monitoring has accumulated and current guidelines recommend its wide application in clinical management of hypertension.
Home blood pressure measurements were reported to be able to predict silent (preclinical) organ damage and cardiovascular event superior to that of the conventional office blood pressure measurements and similar to that of 24-hour ambulatory monitoring.
Find out more about the Omron blood pressure monitors you can choose from for your home use.

Hypertension is a public health epidemic with approximately four in 10 adults older than 25 have hypertension as reported by the World Hypertension League 2016. Although this is very alarming, hypertension can be prevented and managed by active monitoring. Make monitoring your blood pressure part of your life.