Why do you need to develop a healthy-eating plan?

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If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your health care provider will likely recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy-eating plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar, also called blood glucose, manage your weight and control heart disease risk factors. These factors include high blood pressure and high blood fats. When you eat extra calories and carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels rise. If blood sugar isn't controlled, it can lead to serious problems. These problems include a high blood sugar level, called hyperglycemia. If this high level lasts for a long time, it may lead to long-term complications, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage. You can help keep your blood sugar level in a safe range. Make healthy food choices and track your eating habits. For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood sugar. Weight loss offers a host of other health benefits. If you need to lose weight, a healthy-eating plan...
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(Hypertension) High Blood Pressure

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 High blood pressure (hypertension) has no symptoms and can be dangerous if not treated. Hypertension puts you at risk for stroke, heart attack and other problems. Nearly half of adults who have hypertension don’t realize it. So, checkups are crucial. Dietary changes, exercise and medicine can help you keep your blood pressure where it should be.


What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high. This damages your arteries over time and can lead to serious complications like heart attack and stroke. “Hypertension” is another word for this common condition.

Healthcare providers call high blood pressure a “silent killer” because you usually don’t have any symptoms. So, you may not be aware that anything is wrong, but the damage is still occurring within your body.

Blood pressure (BP) is the measurement of the pressure or force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. Your BP reading has two numbers:

The top number is the systolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure on your artery walls when your heart beats or contracts.
The bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure. This measures the pressure on your artery walls between beats when your heart is relaxing.
Healthcare providers measure blood pressure in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
Getting your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it’s too high. You can do this by seeing a healthcare provider for a yearly checkup, even if you feel healthy. You won’t feel sick if you have high blood pressure. So, these checkups are crucial and can be life-saving. If your BP is above the normal range, your provider will recommend lifestyle changes and/or medications to lower your numbers.



What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?

Usually, high blood pressure causes no signs or symptoms. That’s why healthcare providers call it a “silent killer.” You could have high blood pressure for years and not know it. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that 46% of adults with hypertension don’t know they have it.

When your blood pressure is 180/120 mmHg or higher, you may experience symptoms like headaches, heart palpitations or nosebleeds. Blood pressure this high is a hypertensive crisis that requires immediate medical care.

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