Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
Let’s talk blood pressure because it’s getting wild out here.
Now the recommendations are early treatment, lower goal numbers and to stop drinking alcohol.
Don’t stop reading. Hear me out. As a primary care doctor, I can see why they changed the recommendations, which had not been updated since 2017. They also did evidenced-based research over years to basically say this is not working well enough because the health outcomes are not good. More professionally than that, but let’s talk.
Have y’all noticed people are getting heart attacks younger?
A lot of people have high blood pressure and it’s not because you rushed to the appointment, or don’t like coming to the doctor. For a small fraction, this may be the case, but most of people just have high blood pressure.
The sooner we accept that the better – because we need to put in the work and save your life.
High blood pressure causes your body to work hard and stress (read damage) your organs like a parked car revving up the engine forever silently. Not good for the health. So do not ignore blood pressure because you cannot “feel” it.
Now they say if your top BP number isn’t in the 120s or below, it’s too high. The grace of the 130s, gone! Possibly, this partly because nutrition is barely addressed in most people’s lifestyle choices. So, better control targets are needed.
But good news is after a few months of real diet shifts, if your blood pressure is controlled, no medications are needed. That’s if you decrease salt intake, processed foods, fast foods, fried foods, red meat, fatty foods etc., and lean into the vegetables, fish, chicken, whole grain foods, etc. Then, your blood pressure will get better.
If this leads to weight loss even better.
If you’re working out and moving your body, even more better.
Unfortunately, though lifestyle changes are always recommended, for some it will not be enough. These individuals may have had high blood pressure so long that medications are needed.
Many people do not want medications, but we can not sit here and act like America is healthy. Bashing and talking negatively about modern medicine, but going to the emergency room when it all catches up to you is wildly contradictory.
1 – Check your blood pressure regularly-at least once a year, and more if you have heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or kidney disease or high blood pressure, whether it’s controlled or not.
2 – Make your follow up appointments: Do not ghost the doctor for months knowing your blood pressure is uncontrolled. Your health will be negatively impacted in the end.
3 – Change your diet: Food is medicine. Walk the walk if you’re really trying to be healthy and natural.
4 – Move your body: It is not just about weight loss. Strength and conditioning make a huge
difference for your cardiovascular health.
5 – Take your medications: If you stop your medications just because – you will still have high blood pressure But, instead now it is untreated and will take more medications to control once you come off the hiatus and damage is done
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS A SILENT KILLER! It causes STROKES, HEART ATTACKS, KIDNEY DISEASE, BLINDNESS, BLOOD VESSEL DISEASE and much more.
much work we need to do to save our community.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD is a Flint native and board certified family medicine doctor at Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com.
