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Everyone knows that high blood pressure is a health risk. But did you know that that averaging blood pressure is a problem as well?
When you take your blood pressure regularly, you will notice that it goes up and down. This is natural and occurs as a result of the time of day, your activities, and other factors. Most of the time, when you notice these blood pressure variations, you will probably just average them out. So, if you have one high number and then more moderate ones, you probably won’t worry about the spike. But recent research indicates that this might be a mistake.
Your blood pressure is important because it’s a good indication of future cardiac risk. This measurement represents the force of the blood against your artery walls. When you have high blood pressure, your heart is beating harder than normal to push blood around your body. This can damage your heart and put you at risk of:
Almost everyone will experience high blood pressure eventually. Fortunately, there are several effective treatments that can help lower this health risk factor. But this means that your doctor must identify the problem. They will usually do this by taking your blood pressure several times and calculating the average. And this is where the problems may begin.
When you go to your doctor, they will probably calculate the average of your blood pressure measurements. This is a common short cut and it can help them decide if you need medication or other interventions. It also makes sense because of the way blood pressure can fluctuate from moment to moment. But it also creates problems.
The average isn’t a real number. And it doesn’t adequately represent your health risk. In fact, recent research indicates that blood pressure spikes may be more important than previously suspected.
Heart health researchers recently showed that blood pressure variation is an important indication of future health. The study examined young adults who experienced high blood pressure variability. There were 3,394 participants in the study spread across 4 US states and the study extended over 30 years.
The study focused on the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure of the blood as it leaves the heart. This is the first number in blood pressure readings. Usually, a reading of over 130 mm HG is taken as a mark of hypertension.
The researchers found that a blood pressure spike of 3.6 mm Hg in young adults was significant. It increased the risk of cardiac disease by 15 percent in the following 20 years. Even more significantly, this risk factor was independent of the blood pressure average. So, even if your blood pressure is normal, if you experience spikes then your risk of heart disease is increased.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest killers in the known world. And it’s too late to avoid it once you already have it. Instead, you need to identify the risk ahead of time and take preventative measures.
Tracking your blood pressure is a simple, easy, affordable way to predict cardiac risk years ahead of time. But it has to be done in the right way and just averaging your numbers isn’t enough. Instead, you need to identify if you’re prone to spikes and understand what that means for your future health. This is an essential step to getting this risk under control.
If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: health risk, blood pressure, blood pressure variation
