What is high blood pressure?
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High Blood Pressure Quiz: How Much Do You Know?
Check your answers
1. FALSE Regular moderate exercise not only helps bring down your blood pressure; it strengthens your heart, zaps stress, and helps you stay at a healthy weight. If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor what kind of exercise to do and how much.
2. FALSE Your blood pressure may go up for a while when you're under stress, but there's no proof that stress causes long-term high blood pressure.
3. FALSE You can have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. In fact, about 1 in 5 Americans with high blood pressure doesn't know it.
4. FALSE Both numbers in your blood pressure reading count. A reading below 120/80 is normal.
If your top number is 120 to 139 or your bottom number is 80 to 89, you have prehypertension. It means you could end up with high blood pressure unless you take steps to prevent it.
5. FALSE Lifestyle changes are the first step for blood pressure that's a little high. You may not need medicine if you exercise, eat healthy, lose weight or quit smoking if you need to, limit alcohol, and cut salt.
6. TRUE High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure. It can make your kidneys work harder and, eventually, stop working well. This can raise your blood pressure even more. If you are African-American, your chances of having kidney failure are much higher, even if your blood pressure is only a little high.
7. FALSE Processed food is probably where you get most of your salt. Foods don't have to taste salty to be high in sodium. Some bread and rolls, soups, frozen pizza, and cold cuts are all high.
8. TRUE Studies show that doing Transcendental Meditation (TM) can lower your blood pressure a bit. TM involves focusing on a sound or phrase to get to a relaxed state of mind.
2. FALSE Your blood pressure may go up for a while when you're under stress, but there's no proof that stress causes long-term high blood pressure.
3. FALSE You can have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. In fact, about 1 in 5 Americans with high blood pressure doesn't know it.
4. FALSE Both numbers in your blood pressure reading count. A reading below 120/80 is normal.
If your top number is 120 to 139 or your bottom number is 80 to 89, you have prehypertension. It means you could end up with high blood pressure unless you take steps to prevent it.
5. FALSE Lifestyle changes are the first step for blood pressure that's a little high. You may not need medicine if you exercise, eat healthy, lose weight or quit smoking if you need to, limit alcohol, and cut salt.
6. TRUE High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure. It can make your kidneys work harder and, eventually, stop working well. This can raise your blood pressure even more. If you are African-American, your chances of having kidney failure are much higher, even if your blood pressure is only a little high.
7. FALSE Processed food is probably where you get most of your salt. Foods don't have to taste salty to be high in sodium. Some bread and rolls, soups, frozen pizza, and cold cuts are all high.
8. TRUE Studies show that doing Transcendental Meditation (TM) can lower your blood pressure a bit. TM involves focusing on a sound or phrase to get to a relaxed state of mind.