Heart information
Managing high
blood pressure
Contents
Page3
Page4
Page4
What is high blood pressure?
Page3
How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
How is blood pressure measured?
What is ‘normal’ blood pressure?
What causes high blood pressure?
Page5
Why is it important to manage high blood
pressure?
Page6 What harm does high blood pressure do?
Page5
How can I manage my high blood pressure?
Page7 Lifestyle changes
Page9 Blood pressure-lowering medicine
Page6
Page 10
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Page 11
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Page 11
Page 2
How can I monitor my blood pressure?
Where can I have my blood pressure checked?
Will I need to measure my blood pressure at home?
Why does my blood pressure vary?
What happens next?
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is one of the most common disorders
affecting the heart and blood vessels.
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in your arteries (the
blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the body) as it
is pumped around the body by the heart.
As the heart pumps, the flow of blood in the arteries and the
blood pressure rises and falls in a regular ‘wave’ pattern. Blood
pressure peaks when the heart pumps – called systole (sis-tol) –
and falls when the heart relaxes – called diastole (di-as-tol).
Quick tip
High blood pressure rarely
gives warning signs and can
be a silent killer. Ask your
doctor to check your blood
pressure regularly – it’s
easy and quick to do. We
recommend that all adults
know their own blood
pressure level and what it
means for their health.
Blood pressure depends on two main things: the amount of
blood pumped by the heart and how easily the blood can flow
through the arteries.
Your blood pressure will go up and down throughout the
day, depending on the time of day and what you are doing.
However, high blood pressure is a condition where your blood
pressure is consistently high, potentially causing damage to
your heart, brain and other important organs.
The medical term for persistently high blood pressure is
hypertension (hi-pur-ten-shun). It is not nervous tension, which
is a different medical condition.
How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
To find out if you have high blood pressure it is important
to have your blood pressure measured regularly. The serious
effects of high blood pressure usually develop only after it has
been high for some years. In the meantime, there are often no
symptoms to warn you.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
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How is blood pressure measured?
Blood pressure is usually measured by wrapping an inflatable
pressure bag or ‘cuff’ around the upper arm. The bag is
connected to a pressure-measuring device. The entire instrument
is called a sphygmomanometer (sfig-mo-mah-nom-eh-ter).
As the doctor pumps up the bag, the pressure in the bag rises
and it squeezes the main artery in the arm so that no blood
flows through it. When air is released from the bag, the pressure
slowly falls. The doctor watches the readings of pressure in the
bag and listens over the artery with a stethoscope. When the
falling pressure in the bag just equals the peak pressure in the
artery, the heartbeat forces some blood through the artery. This
causes a regular thumping sound. As soon as the thumps begin,
the doctor checks the pressure level reading. This is recorded as
systolic (sis-tol-ik) pressure.
The thumps continue until the pressure falls to equal the lowest
pressure in the artery, when the sounds fade away. The doctor
then takes another reading. This is recorded as diastolic
(di-as-tol-ik) pressure.
If your systolic blood pressure was 120mm Hg (millimetres of
mercury) and your diastolic was 70mm Hg, your doctor will
record it as 120/70, that is ‘120 over 70’.
What is ‘normal’ blood pressure?
There is no ‘normal’ or ‘ideal’ blood pressure reading. The
following figures should only be used as a guide.
Page 4
Normal
Less than 120/80
High/Normal
Between 120/80 and 140/90
High
Equal to or more than 140/90
Very high
Equal to or more than 180/110
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
What causes high blood pressure?
The exact cause of high blood pressure is often not clear.
Normally, your blood vessels detect temporary changes in your
blood pressure and send messages to your brain to keep the
pressure within healthy limits. If your blood pressure stays high
for long enough, your system adjusts to a higher level.
Your family history, eating patterns, alcohol intake, weight
and level of physical activity have a strong influence on
blood pressure.
In some people, medicines, including the oral contraceptive
pill, contraceptive ‘depot’ injections, steroids (cortisone-like
medicines) and arthritis medicines, can also raise blood pressure.
Why is it important to manage high blood
pressure?
It is important to manage your blood pressure because having
high blood pressure is one of the main risk factors* for heart,
stroke and blood vessel disease. Others include:
• smoking
• having a high blood cholesterol level
• being physically inactive
• having diabetes
• being overweight
• having depression
• being socially isolated.
Increasing age, being a male and having a family history of
early death from coronary heart disease (i.e. in a first-degree
relative less than 60 years old) also increase the risk of
developing heart disease.
* ‘Risk factors’ for heart, stroke and blood vessel disease are characteristics that increase
your chance of having these diseases.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
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What harm does high blood pressure do?
If it is not managed, high blood pressure can overload the heart
and blood vessels and speed up the artery-clogging process
known as atherosclerosis (ath-e-ro-skle-ro-sis).
This can lead to problems such as heart attack and stroke.
A stroke can also happen because high blood pressure causes
weaknesses in the walls of the blood vessels in the brain,
leading these weakened blood vessels to burst. This is known as
a ‘cerebral haemorrhage’ (ser-u-brul hem-ur-ij).
High blood pressure can also affect arteries to other parts of the
body, such as the eyes, kidneys and legs.
In addition, the higher your blood pressure is, the harder your
heart must work to pump blood around the body. If high blood
pressure is not treated, the heart may weaken because of the
constant extra demand, and then it will not be able to do its
job properly. This may cause ‘heart failure’, a serious condition
with symptoms such as tiredness, shortness of breath and
swelling of the feet and ankles.
How can I manage my high blood pressure?
Many people need medicine to manage their high blood
pressure, but other people can manage it just by making some
healthy lifestyle changes.
To help to lower your blood pressure, it is important that you:
• reduce your excess body weight
• be physically active
• limit your alcohol intake
• quit smoking
Quick tip
If you have high blood
pressure, your doctor can
give you a personalised plan
to help you to reduce and
manage it.
Page 6
• decrease your salt/sodium intake
• increase your potassium intake.
Even if you take medicine to manage your blood pressure, it is
still important that you make changes to your lifestyle to help
you to manage your blood pressure and improve your health.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
Lifestyle changes
Some people can lower their blood pressure to normal levels
by making the following lifestyle changes. If you try these
things, you will still need your doctor’s ongoing help to manage
your blood pressure.
Enjoy healthy eating
Healthy eating is particularly important in managing high blood
pressure and reducing your risk of heart disease. Enjoying a variety
of foods from the different food groups is the key to healthy eating.
Choose mainly plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits,
legumes (e.g. chick peas, kidney beans, baked beans, and
lentils) and plain unsalted nuts. Also choose wholegrain cereal
foods, such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, noodles and
rice. Consume moderate amounts of lean unprocessed meats,
skinless poultry and reduced fat dairy products. Include a
150 g serve of oily fish in two to three meals every week.
Use margarine spreads made from canola, olive, sunflower
and soybean oils, or lower saturated fat dairy spreads instead
of butter or other dairy blends.
Salt/Sodium
One way to help to avoid high blood pressure is to enjoy a
healthy eating plan that contains less than 6 g of salt a day
(approximately 2300 mg of sodium a day). But if you have
high blood pressure, aim for 4 g of salt a day (approximately
1550 mg of sodium a day).
Quick tip
Low salt and low sodium
foods have a sodium content
of no more than 120 mg/100 g
(or 120 mg/100 mL for
liquid foods). However,
foods that are labelled ‘salt
reduced’ are not necessarily
low salt foods. Read the
nutrition information panel
on the label to check the
actual amount of salt/
sodium in the food.
Quick tip
To reduce your sodium intake:
• choose foods normally
processed without salt,
or choose low salt foods
• avoid high salt
processed foods
• avoid salty snacks and
take-away foods high in salt
• avoid adding salt during
cooking and at the table.
Potassium
Increasing your potassium intake can help to lower your blood
pressure. To increase your potassium intake, consume:
• a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
• plain, unsalted nuts (however, limit the quantity that you eat
and how often you eat them, because nuts can contribute to
excess kilojoules)
• dried peas, dried beans or lentils.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
Page 7
Maintain a healthy weight
If you are overweight, achieving and maintaining a healthy
weight is an important step to reducing your risk of developing
high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, losing
excess weight will help to manage it. Losing weight can
sometimes even make taking medicines unnecessary.
To achieve a healthy body weight, balance the kilojoules
coming into your body through food and drinks with the
kilojoules being used up by your body through regular physical
activity. To lose weight, you need to use up more kilojoules
through physical activity and consume fewer kilojoules from
food and drinks.
Limit your alcohol intake
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, you should limit your alcohol
intake to no more than two drinks per day (for men) or one
drink per day (for women).
Alcohol can also interact with some medicines, including
complementary products (such as herbal remedies). If you are
taking medicine for high blood pressure, alcohol can reduce
its effectiveness. Ask your health professional if you have any
questions about your medicine and drinking alcohol.
Did you know?
Some specific types of
exercise should be avoided
by people with high blood
pressure. These include
body presses and lifting
weights, which can actually
raise your blood pressure
too much. Ask your doctor
about the best kind of
physical activity for you.
Page 8
Be active every day
Being physically active is an important part of leading a healthy
lifestyle and can help to lower blood pressure. At any age,
physical activity provides a range of health benefits. And the good
news is that the physical activity doesn’t have to be vigorous –
moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, is great for your
health! Try to do at least 30 minutes or more of moderate physical
activity on all or most days of the week. You can do it in bouts of
10 minutes or more if this is more convenient.
Try to be active during your day by walking to the bus stop,
cycling to work or to the shops, doing some gardening, swimming,
or participating in games such as tennis and golf. You could also
join a club or learn a new sport. Do anything that you enjoy.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
Be smoke-free
If you smoke, your doctor will strongly advise you to quit
smoking. Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart attack,
stroke, gangrene of the legs and other diseases. Once you stop
smoking, the extra risk is reduced quickly. Avoid exposure to
other people’s smoke, because second-hand smoke is also
dangerous to your health. Call the Quitline on 13 QUIT for
information and support on quitting smoking.
Blood pressure-lowering medicine
Many people will also need to take blood pressure-lowering
medicine to reduce their high blood pressure to safe, managed
levels. There are a large variety of medicines available to lower
and manage high blood pressure. Your doctor might call them
‘anti-hypertensives’.
Blood pressure-lowering medicines do not cure high blood
pressure, but they do manage it. Once you start to take
medicines to manage your blood pressure, you will probably
have to continue to take them for the rest of your life.
Sometimes, after your blood pressure has been well-managed
for a long time, the amount (dose) of medicines that you need
to take may be able to be reduced.
Other medicines
• Some medicines and
complementary products
interact with blood
pressure-lowering
medicine. Before
you start taking other
medicines, talk to your
health professional.
• If you are buying other
medicines from a place
(such as a supermarket)
where you can’t speak to a
health professional, check
the label for information
about possible interactions
with your blood pressurelowering medicine.
If you need to take medicine, your doctor will start you on a small
dose and note its effect. If necessary, the dose will be gradually
increased or other medicines used, until your blood pressure
is well managed. Two or more different medicines are often
needed to manage blood pressure and to keep any side effects to
a minimum. Your doctor will make every effort to find the most
suitable medicine or combination of medicines for you.
To make sure that your medicines work properly, you need
to take them regularly. Some things you could try to help you
to remember to take your medicines are to take it at the same
time every day, take it at meal times, use a weekly pill box with
separate compartments, mark it on a calendar, or ask friends or
family to remind you. We recommend that you always carry a
list of your medicines and their doses with you.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
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Serious side effects
If you suspect that your
medicine has caused a
serious side effect, see your
doctor immediately.
What about side effects?
Blood pressure-lowering medicines are effective and their
benefits generally far outweigh the problems that can occur.
While the medicines may cause side effects in some people,
many people don’t have any. You are most likely to experience
side effects when you start taking a new medicine. If you have
any concerns, don’t stop taking your medicine, but tell your
doctor about them. He or she can change the type of medicine
and the dose to keep side effects to a minimum, or to prevent
them altogether.
It is important that you work closely with your doctor to find
the medicine that works best for you.
How can I find out more information about my medicine?
Speak to your doctor to make sure that you understand your
medicines, including what they do and how much you should
take. Your medicines will come with a detailed product
information sheet and your pharmacist, nurse or doctor can
answer any other questions that you may have.
How can I monitor my blood pressure?
Where can I have my blood pressure checked?
It is best to have your blood pressure checked for the first time
during a routine visit to your doctor, community health centre,
hospital or clinic. Your results will be assessed in relation to
your age, family history and other factors, such as whether you
smoke or have high blood cholesterol. You may be referred to a
specialist physician or clinic.
Will I need to measure my blood pressure at home?
Measuring your blood pressure at home is a good way to see
how your blood pressure changes during the day, from one day
to the next, and in response to treatment.
Your doctor may recommend that you take regular
measurements of your blood pressure at home and bring
your records of the measurements with you to the clinic. The
home measurements may be used to help your doctor to make
decisions about your treatment. Discuss this with your doctor.
Page 10
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
Why does my blood pressure vary?
Blood pressure varies from moment to moment. It is affected
by various factors including body position, breathing or
emotional state, exercise and sleep. It is usually lowest
when we sleep and higher when we are excited, stressed or
exercising. Temporary rises are natural and blood pressure will
return to normal when we rest.
These constant changes can make it difficult to get a true
picture of your blood pressure. To get a more accurate result,
your doctor may measure your blood pressure several times.
It is best to be in a relaxed state when your blood pressure
is being measured. Anxiety can make blood pressure rise
temporarily and give inaccurate high readings.
Your doctor may arrange for you to wear a blood pressure
monitor for 24 hours (during day-to-day activity and sleep). This
light-weight, easy-to-wear monitor will help your doctor to get
accurate information about your blood pressure.
More information
If you’ve got any questions
or just want some more
information about blood
pressure, call our Health
Information Service on
1300 36 27 87 and talk
to one of our trained
health professionals.
What happens next?
Your doctor will probably tell you to have your blood pressure
checked regularly, maybe weeks or a few months apart. It’s
important to keep appointments because your blood pressure
and medicines need to be monitored.
Your doctor may also ask you to measure your own blood
pressure at home and to bring your measurements to the clinic
to help them to make decisions about your treatment.
Take your blood pressure tablets as advised. If you think that
you are having problems with your medicine, tell your doctor
so that your treatment can be adjusted to minimise side effects.
Try to maintain a healthy weight, have a healthy eating pattern,
do regular physical activity, limit your alcohol intake and be
smoke-free.
Heart Foundation Managing high blood pressure
Page 11
For heart health information
1300 36 27 87
www.heartfoundation.org.au
Key points to remember about high blood pressure
High blood pressure is one of the main
risk factors for heart, stroke and blood
vessel disease.
High blood pressure rarely gives warning
signs. To find out if you have high blood
pressure, you should have your blood
pressure measured regularly.
Your family history, eating patterns,
alcohol intake, weight and level of physical
activity have a strong influence on your
blood pressure.
To help to lower your blood pressure:
• reduce your excess body weight
• be physically active
• limit your alcohol intake
• quit smoking
• decrease your salt/sodium intake
• increase your potassium intake.
Many people will need to take blood pressurelowering medicine to reduce their high blood
pressure. Work closely with your doctor to
find the medicine that works best for you.
© 2008–2012 National Heart Foundation of Australia ABN 98 008 419 761
CON-059.v2 IPM
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