High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is when the force of blood through your arteries is higher than it should be. It is one of the top causes of heart disease and stroke
It is diagnosed when the systolic blood pressure (the top number) is greater than 130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) is greater than 80 mmHg on several occasions.
Most people don’t even know that they have it because it often produces no symptoms. While headaches, shortness of breath, and chest pains can occur, they don’t often happen until the blood pressure is dangerously high. Screening is so important, because hypertension can silently cause damage in your body.
Dr Harkin’s approach to high blood pressure involves a deep dive analysis to look for an underlying cause and then multi-pronged approach to treatment.
Common causes of high blood pressure include
sleep apnea
medications
thyroid disorders
kidney disorders
genetics
Dr Harkin often orders blood tests to screen for these and other causes, as well as other diagnostic tests if indicated. She also may have you perform home blood pressure monitoring.
Treatment may involve
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Recommendations may include reducing sodium and alcohol intake, as well as increasing consumption of nitrate and potassium containing foods. The DASH diet is an evidenced based diet for blood pressure lowering. Dr Harkin will help you create diet changes to lower your blood pressure
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Aerobic exercise and strength training both independently lower blood pressure. Dr Harkin works with her patients to create an exercise program to maximally lower blood pressure
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When excess adiposity is present, weight loss will help lower blood pressure. While ideal body weight is always the goal, even 5-10% body weight is enough to achieve significant improvement.
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Dr Harkin uses pharmacotherapy when necessary for optimal blood pressure lowering. She also uses several evidence based supplements in her practice. This will always be in conjunction with lifestyle changes
