There’s no better time than now for a wake-up call about the possible dangers of Health Power’s “Big 4 Targets for Minority Health™ – diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. This focus is on our third “Big 4 Target – hypertension.
Hypertension means abnormally high blood pressure. The CDC says that, “blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries that carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but if it stays high for a long time, it can damage your heart and cause other serious health problems, as well. In fact, high blood pressure increases your risk for serious health events such as heart attacks, strokes, chronic heart failure, and kidney disease.
While controlling all of your risk factors for high blood pressure is not possible, you are able to prevent or control key risk factors and complications, especially related to healthy eating and physical activity. For more information about hypertension as well as how to prevent/control its complications, visit our hypertension page
The following chart illustrates the level of awareness, treatment, and control of high blood pressure for Non-Hispanic Blacks, Non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanics, and the total U.S. Population. These numbers are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: 2007–2012 (See references below).
Speak with your doctor about your blood pressure and if you are at risk for hypertension. Learn the risk factors and how to protect your heart.protect your heart.
Remember the Health Power motto: Knowledge + Action = Power!®
 High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_bloodpressure.htm