How Often you Need to Check Your Blood Pressure

Raena Morgan: Our blood pressure, how often should we have it taken and how quickly can it become too high? Dr. Owen Thompson: Well, very good question and I don't know if anyone has an exact formula for that, because it does vary from person to person. But everybody should start having their blood pressure checked probably in adolescence. Raena Morgan: No kidding. Dr. Owen Thompson: Even before puberty. Most people will go into a clinic and have baby shots, have checkups, they may have a sports physical, or camp physical, and they all should have their blood pressure checked. But then when you get into your late teens, you should have it checked again. People usually have had all their baby shots, done all those things, and frequently don't go to the doctor if they aren't sick. Raena Morgan: Right. Dr. Owen Thompson: Many young people don't get sick, so they don't get their blood pressure checked. So they should get it checked in their middle and later teens. Then if it's normal, about every two to three years in your early to mid 20s, when you hit 30, probably every other year, and then at age 40 and above, every year. Raena Morgan: Okay. Dr. Owen Thompson: Now having said that, there is a little more to it than that. You know Raena, we've talked in other segments about genetics. If your mom, your dad, three of your siblings, your grandparents, your aunts and uncles all have had high blood pressure. Raena Morgan: Right. Dr. Owen Thompson: You should check yours more frequently. I encourage people who have other risk factors. If they have high cholesterol; if they have a family histories we discussed; if they have family members who've had heart disease and stroke; if they're overweight; if they're inactive. They should literally buy a blood pressure cuff. They can get them at health food stores, at pharmacies, most department stores -- Raena Morgan: That's right. Dr. Owen Thompson: They have newer ones now that are digital, and you can push a button and it will inflate itself and get it on. Then you can check your blood pressure yourself, and especially if you're at high risk, you should do that. I encourage people who are at high risk to have a blood pressure cuff and monitor it every three to four months at home, take it. Your blood pressure, we used to say should be on the top. The blood pressure is kind of interesting. The top number is the pressure in the artery when the heart is maximally contracted, pushing the blood through our arterial system. The bottom number is the pressure in the artery when the heart is relaxed and not beating and refilling. So the top number is called the systolic blood pressure, is when the heart is contracted and what we call systole, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure, which is the blood pressure in the artery when the heart is relaxed. Raena Morgan: Okay. Dr. Owen Thompson: The normals are based on arteries at the elbow. There are many blood pressure cuffs sold to test you at the wrist and at the finger. Studies have shown that we tend to have higher blood pressures here. So I think it's important that people get a blood pressure cuff that's going to check them at their elbow. Generally speaking, it should be for adults at the top number, at the highest is in the mid 130s, preferably in the 120s and the bottom number in the low 80s, preferably in the 60s or 70s. If you're in that neighborhood, you're okay. If it's higher than that consistently, you better go in and check it out. Raena Morgan: So we could save ourselves a stroke, right? Dr. Owen Thompson: We could save ourselves a stroke, a heart attack, disability, a lot of problems. Raena Morgan: Thank you, Dr. Thompson. Dr. Owen Thompson: Thank you, Raena.