High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure: What You Can Do to Protect Your Heart, Kidneys, and Brain Photo credit: Pavel Danilyuk May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month, a United States observance founded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to raise awareness about hypertension, one of the most common and most preventable chronic conditions affecting adults today [1]. May is also when the International Society of Hypertension and the World Hypertension League run May Measurement Month, a global campaign that encourages people everywhere to have their blood pressure checked and to understand what their numbers mean [2]. High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it usually causes no symptoms, yet it quietly raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and premature death [3]. This month is an opportunity to understand what blood pressure is, recognize the risk factors, learn your numbers, and take practical steps to protect your health. What Is...