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May 11, 2006
Living With High Blood Pressure
by marcusm
If you have high blood pressure, it is important that you:
 Women and High Blood PressureIn some women, blood pressure can increase if they use birth control pills, become pregnant, or take hormone therapy (HT) during menopause. Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills) Women taking birth control pills usually have a small increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure and are using birth control pills, get your blood pressure checked regularly. Talk to your doctor about a possible rise in blood pressure and what you can do about it. If you have high blood pressure, are age 35 or older, and also smoke, you should not take birth control pills unless you quit smoking. Women age 35 and older who smoke and use birth control pills are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. High blood pressure also raises your chances of stroke and heart disease. If you are age 35 or older, are healthy, do not smoke, and your high blood pressure is controlled, it may be safe for you to use birth control pills. Ask your doctor if birth control pills are safe for you. Pregnancy Many pregnant women with high blood pressure have healthy babies. However, high blood pressure can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby. High blood pressure can harm the mother's kidneys and other organs, and it can cause low birth weight and early delivery. If you are thinking about having a baby and you have high blood pressure, talk first to your doctor or nurse. You can take steps to control your blood pressure before and during pregnancy. Regular prenatal care (health care during pregnancy) is very important for your and your baby's health. Before becoming pregnant:
Some women develop high blood pressure for the first time in the middle of their pregnancy. In the most serious cases, the mother develops a condition called preeclampsia (pre-e-KLAMP-se-a) or "toxemia of pregnancy." This condition can threaten the lives of both the mother and the unborn child. More information about high blood pressure and pregnancy is available at the NHLBI Web site Your Guide to Lowering Your High Blood Pressure. Even though high blood pressure during pregnancy can be serious, most women with high blood pressure and those who develop preeclampsia have successful pregnancies. Getting early and regular prenatal care is the most important thing you can do for you and your baby. Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy Large randomized trials indicate that postmenopausal hormone therapy causes a small increase in systolic blood pressure. If you start taking postmenopausal hormone therapy, you should have your blood pressure checked regularly. Your doctor can help answer your questions. Older Adults and High Blood Pressure A common form of high blood pressure in older adults is isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). ISH is high blood pressure, but only the top (systolic) number is high (140 or higher). ISH can be as harmful as high blood pressure in which both numbers are high. ISH is the most common form of high blood pressure for older adults. About 2 out of 3 people over age 60 with high blood pressure have ISH. You may have ISH and feel fine. As with other types of high blood pressure, ISH often causes no symptoms. To find out if you have ISH—or any type of high blood pressure—get your blood pressure checked. If not treated, ISH can cause damage to your arteries and to body organs. ISH is treated the same way as high blood pressure in which both systolic and diastolic pressures are high—by making changes in your health habits and with blood pressure medicines. Key Points
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