Some things you should know about high blood pressure
If you have high blood pressure, you are not alone. Almost 74 million US adults have this silent condition, which usually doesn't show any symptoms.
The good news is that lifestyle changes, along with taking your medication (if prescribed by your healthcare professional), can help lower your blood pressure. The key is to make changes you can live with. For example:
- Get off the bus before your stop and walk
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
- Use herbs and spices instead of salt to make meats and veggies tastier
In short, make sensible lifestyle changes you can stay with. And if you have a few setbacks, don't be discouraged: The important thing is to stay on track most of the time.
For additional ways to make lifestyle changes that make a difference, click here.
Just what is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is created by the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as it circulates, and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow.
When the force of your blood going through your blood vessels is too great, it's called high blood pressure. Hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, can be dangerous. It makes the heart work harder and can cause damage to blood vessels. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, and vision problems.
The medications in the BP Success Zone Program are approved to treat high blood pressure in adults and are not approved to treat or prevent stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, or vision problems.
What more can you do to manage your high blood pressure?
Take these 3 easy steps to create a program to help get your blood pressure down – and help keep it down:
*Limitations apply. This offer is not valid for patients reimbursed by federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Department of Veterans Affairs, state maternal and child health block grant programs under 42 U.S.C. section 701 et seq., state social services block grant programs under 42 U.S.C. section 1397 et seq., or any other similar federal or state healthcare program; or for patients in MA; or purchased outside the US and Puerto Rico. Void where prohibited by law, taxed, or restricted. See Terms & Conditions. If your pharmacist or cashier has questions about processing your savings, please refer them to the toll-free number on the back of the Savings & Membership Card. The BP Success Zone Program Savings & Membership Card is the property of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Therapy First and must be returned upon request. Both parties reserve the right to rescind, revoke, or amend this offer without notice. This offer will expire on December 31, 2010. Limit one offer per patient. Patient is responsible for reporting receipt of Program rewards to any private insurer that pays for or reimburses you for any part of the prescriptions filled with this Program.
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