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Health conditions common in
African-American women:

Asthma Breast cancer Cancer Cervical cancer Diabetes Glaucoma and cataracts Heart disease High blood pressure High cholesterol HIV/AIDS Infant death Kidney disease Lupus Mental health problems and suicide Osteoporosis Overweight and obesity Pregnancy-related death Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Sickle cell anemia Smoking Stroke Tuberculosis (TB) Uterine fibroids Violence

High blood pressure

• More information on high blood pressure

"Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it's called high blood pressure. With high blood pressure, or hypertension, the blood can't flow easily through your blood vessels. This puts pressure on your vessels, which damages the vessels and strains your heart. As a result, blood doesn't flow as well to your organs, and you can have a heart attack, stroke, eye problems, or kidney problems. If your blood pressure is above normal range, but not high enough to have high blood pressure, then you have prehypertension. This means that you don't have high blood pressure now but are likely to develop it in the future. Even levels slightly above normal increase your heart disease risk.

High blood pressure has no symptoms. All people should have their blood pressure checked at least every two years. Ask your doctor if you need your blood pressure checked more often.

African-American women develop high blood pressure earlier in life and have higher average blood pressures compared with white women. Some things increase your chances of having high blood pressure:

• Increasing age (middle aged or older)
• Diabetes
• Obesity (or being overweight)
• Alcohol use
• Eating too much salt
• A family history of high blood pressure
• Not exercising

Making some lifestyle changes can help prevent or control high blood pressure:

• If you are overweight, lose weight. Losing just 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure.
• Make physical activity a habit. Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:
  • 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • A combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity
    and
    
  • Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week
• Eat heart-healthy foods. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Limit salt.
• Don't smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. For help along the way, check out our Quitting Smoking section.
• If you drink alcohol, have no more than one drink per day.
• Reduce stress.
• If needed, take medicine to control blood pressure as prescribed by your doctor.

If you have high blood pressure or pre-high blood pressure, you have a higher risk of diabetes. Ask your doctor if you need to be tested for diabetes too.

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More information on high blood pressure

Explore other publications and websites

• DASH* to the Diet: Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure Following the DASH Eating Plan — This updated booklet contains a week's worth of sample menus and recipes recalculated using 2005 nutrient content data. The "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" eating plan features plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods that are heart healthy and lower in salt/sodium. It also provides additional information on weight loss and physical activity.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/dash_brief.pdf
• For People with Diabetes or High Blood Pressure: Get Checked for Kidney Disease — This fact sheet informs African-Americans about how diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure.
  http://www.nkdep.nih.gov/resources/make_the_kidney_connection.htm
• Heart Healthy Home Cooking African American Style — Prepare your favorite African-American dishes in ways that protect you and your family from heart disease and stroke. These recipes will show you how to cut back on saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt, and still have great-tasting food. Delicious foods from spicy southern barbecued chicken to sweet potato pie are included.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/cooking.htm
• High Blood Pressure (Copyright © American Heart Association) — High blood pressure is a common but symptomless condition. Knowing about your genetic predispositions, making simple lifestyle changes, and talking to your doctor can help you reduce the risk of high blood pressure. This interactive website includes information on all this and more.
  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp
• The Heart Truth for African American Women: An Action Plan — This fact sheet provides heart disease facts and figures specific to African-American women. It provides statistics on heart-related issues, as well as a checklist of questions to ask your doctor to begin your action plan for a healthy heart.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/downloads/pdf/factsheet-actionplan-aa.pdf
• Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure — This website has an interactive guide that answers common questions about high blood pressure and offers tips and quizzes. It also provides information on medications and suggestions on how to talk to your doctor.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/index.html
• Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH — Get with the plan that is clinically proven to significantly reduce blood pressure! This booklet offers a week's worth of sample menus and recipes created to follow the most recent nutritional guidelines. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan features plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods that are heart healthy and lower in salt and sodium. It also provides additional information on weight loss and physical activity.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf

Connect with other organizations

• American Heart Association
  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
• American Stroke Association
  http://www.strokeassociation.org
• CDC's WISEWOMAN — Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
  http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/
• Heart Truth
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm
• Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation
  http://www.sistertosister.org/

Content last updated May 18, 2010.

Resources last updated May 18, 2010.

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