Can't You Hear My Heart Beat  by Grandpa Chuck

This morning I had my yearly physical with the Doctor. One of the topics that came up during my appointment was the topic of Blood Pressure.  Like a good accountant, Doctors never seem to like the numbers.   They always are looking for improvement in this area.

Two numbers note blood pressure. The upper number, systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood throughout the body; the lower number, diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxing (in between beats).

When systolic blood pressure rises above 160 it's time to consider treatment -- even if the lower number is normal, less than 90.

Systolic blood pressure is considered high when it's 140 or above. When the lower blood pressure number is less than 90, treatment is generally considered only when systolic blood pressure tops 160. Among older patients, the evidence isn't yet clear that the pros outweigh the cons of treating it in the 140-160 range.

If your blood pressure is on the high side the Doctor said you could bring it down with a few simple lifestyle modifications:

Diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt

Exercise regularly