This is National Blood Pressure Education Month and with the recent untimely loss of director John Singleton, who suffered a stroke at the age of 51, everyone should be aware of ways you can get yours under control because often, there are no symptoms. Host Tati Amare was joined by our friends, Florine Mark, the president and CEO of the WW group, formerly known as Weight Watchers, and Doctor Akshay Khandelwal, a cardiologist at Henry Ford Hospital to discuss this further.
So what causes high blood pressure? According to Khandelwal, some causes are reversible, like a thyroid gland problem, obesity, sleep apnea, and pregnancy, but unfortunately, a lot of times it is genetic. To determine whether or not you do have high blood pressure the best thing to do is check it yourself with a blood pressure cuff at home or go into your doctor's office. A lot of times there are no symptoms, but dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath and chest pains can sometimes be a sign.
While again, many of the causes are genetic in nature, diet and exercise can help keep your blood pressure under control. If you want to work on your diet, the WW Freestyle program can help.
"It's moderate, you can eat what you want, but all the low point foods are all the good foods for you," explained Mark. She went on to say that every 10-11 pounds you lose, you lower your blood pressure.
A healthy blood pressure, according to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, is 120/80.
Mark claims that many people who come into WW with high blood pressure can sometimes go off their blood pressure meds after losing weight with the program.
If you want to check your blood pressure at home, Khandelwal says you can use the blood pressure measuring tools sold at your local drug store.
For more information on WW and to find a program near you to start your journey to total wellness, call 888-3-FLORINE or visit 8883florine.com.
This article is sponsored by WW