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New AHA toolkit designed to help control blood pressure
The American Heart Association has created a resource center to help doctors, healthcare providers and patients treat and control high BP.
The purpose of the reference tools is to identify potential factors that can raise BP.
As Cardiology Today previously reported, the AHA released data that nearly 50% of American adults had some form of CVD based on statistics between 2013 and 2016, which was an increase from previous years that was partly reflected by a change in the definition of hypertension in the 2017 ACC/American College of Cardiology hypertension guideline.
“The guideline update was a huge undertaking and shifted the status quo in identifying people at risk for cardiovascular disease and complications,” the AHA wrote in a statement to Cardiology Today. “We wanted to provide practitioners with a quick reference guide to the key takeaways to better serve their patients with high blood pressure.”
The highlighted BP raisers included improper measurement, the use of over-the-counter medications, alcohol and caffeine use, and herb and food combinations.
New guidelines
“The biggest take-home for both clinicians and patients is that a lot of the same things that are shown to prevent BP elevation can help lower it when somebody has already been diagnosed with hypertension, and that they’re cumulative,” Sondra DePalma, DHSc, PA-C, CLS, CHC, FNLA, AACC, of PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute at UPMC Pinnacle in Pennsylvania, told Cardiology Today. “So, patients who continue to make healthy lifestyle choices can continue to help prevent the onset of high BP as well as help control BP.”
Methods to correct improper measurement and white-coat hypertension as recommended by the AHA include reducing anxiety in an in-office setting by avoiding caffeine, exercise and cigarette smoking for a half hour before measurement and being properly seated when having BP testing.
OTC medications can attribute to about 2% to 4% of high BP and can aggravate or affect controlling high BP, DePalma said. The AHA recommends healthcare providers ask patients what they use to treat aches and pains.
“People don’t always realize that decongestants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, herbal supplements, other types of dietary products they’re consuming — even black licorice — can reversibly elevate BP if they were to stop those,” DePalma said.
The AHA also endorses restricting alcohol and caffeine use, with the recommended limit for caffeine being three cups per day.
Strong cheeses, cured meats and other foods combined with prescription medicines may have negative effects on treating BP. Reducing sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg is also recommended to help control BP.
DePalma said patients finding out they are diagnosed with high BP can use the toolkit to make the proper lifestyle changes to lower their risk.
“It’s not only the disease, but it’s also decreased quality of life, disability, decreased productivity and time with your family,” she said. “It can be daunting, but you want to realize that there’s a lot of things that can be done to control this and reduce your risk. So, being aware of it helps you be able to make the appropriate decisions that are best for you and your family to help you lower that risk.” – by Earl Holland Jr.
Disclosures: DePalma reports no relevant financial disclosures.