How often should I check my blood pressure?
A new study investigating the role of hypertension in a person’s risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms suggests that the condition may worsen symptoms due to its association with one particular factor.
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, affects 1 in 3 Australian adults and 1 in 5 New Zealanders, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Southern Cross NZ, with men being more likely to have the condition.
The study, published in PubMed, concluded that hypertension doesn’t play an independent role in the severity of Covid symptoms from current evidence, but that systolic blood pressure, one the measurements used to determine blood pressure, could be a contributing factor.
In light of these findings, the theme for this year’s World Hypertension Day, held on May 17, is Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer in a bid to raise awareness of the condition, which can have no immediate symptoms.
Andria Aird, a hypertension expert and Blooms the Chemist pharmacist, tells OverSixty that this absence of symptoms - except for headaches in severe cases - is why raising awareness is crucial, and why Blooms the Chemist is promoting free blood pressure checks this month.
Andria Aird says getting our blood pressure checked is key to detecting high blood pressure. Image: Supplied
“Current surveys estimate that 32 percent of men and 27 percent of women in Australia have hypertension,” she says.
“Left untreated, hypertension can increase your risk of life-threatening conditions like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.”
This condition is particularly common among older adults, which Aird says is to do with the changes that occur in our blood vessels.
“The walls of our arteries become stiffer and we are more at risk of high blood pressure,” she explains.
“More mature people are also more at risk of other health conditions which often go hand in hand with hypertension.”
Could I have hypertension and not know it?
With no obvious symptoms, we can have hypertension without realising - and getting a blood pressure check is one of the ways to determine if we do.
“Sometimes people come into our pharmacy to have their blood pressure tested and shown a systolic reading of up to 200 mmHg without even knowing it.”
According to Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow (or width) in your arteries.
Blood pressure readings, given in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), consist of two numbers: systolic pressure (the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats) and diastolic pressure (the pressure in your arteries in-between beats).
A healthy reading is considered to be a systolic pressure of 140 mmHg or less, and a diastolic pressure of less than 90 mmHg, according to the National Institute of Ageing.
As for how often we should be getting checked, Aird suggests over -50s rolling up their sleeves every 3-6 months.
“At Blooms the Chemist we recommend all Australian adults have their blood pressure checked,” she says.
“The Heart Foundation recommends at least every two years from 18 years, although my conservative recommendation for people over 50 would be at least 3 – 6 monthly. “Hypertension is not only a disease of the elderly, however those over 60 are at a higher risk.”
But you don’t always have to go to the GP or chemist to get checked.
“Reliable home blood pressure monitors are relatively affordable and easy to use. At Blooms The Chemist we can offer advice to recommend a monitor to suit your needs,” Aird says.
As well as getting checked, Aird says there are some things we can do in our day-to-day lives to reduce our chances of developing hypertension.
“Fortunately, there are lifestyle options we can take to reduce our risk of high blood pressure, even if there is a family history of the condition,” she says.
“It is vital to quit if you are a smoker. A healthy diet, weight control and regular exercise all substantially reduce your risk. Other tips include reducing salt in your diet, managing stress and reducing alcohol intake.”
Image: Getty Images