Nearly 60 million Americans are over the age of 55, which means they have a 90 percent likelihood of developing high blood pressure in their lifetime. May is High Blood Pressure Awareness Month. 18 million Americans have diabetes which increases their chances of developing high blood pressure. It's referred to as the "silent killer" as almost one third of people do not know they have it. Symptoms include dizziness and the most common headaches, but many go without any symptoms at all. The longer it's left untreated, the more serious its complications can become. Lifestyle modifications that include exercising and eating the right foods can help reduce your numbers. Medication can also work. UAMS Cardiologist Dr. Behzad Malovi warns before you begin any medications or lifestyle changes, find out what works best for you. He says, "Obviously if we're in a pre-hypertenstion stage where our blood pressure is between 120-130, perhaps 140 it would make senst to start changing our lifestyle in the first place. But for someone whose blood pressure is between 180/120, no matter how many times or how many trials, we cannont expect a return to normal."
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