regularly, to lose weight if overweight and to get rou-
tine medical examinations and cholesterol tests.Resources
BOOKS
American Heart Association.American Heart Association
Low–Fat, Low–Cholesterol Cookbook, 3rd Edition:
Delicious Recipes to Help Lower Your Cholesterol.New
York, NY: Clarkson Potter, 2005.
Durrington, P. N.Hyperlipidemia (Fast Facts).Albuquer-
que, NM: Health Press, 2005.
Freeman, M. W., Junge, C. E.Harvard Medical School
Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol.New York, NY:
McGraw–Hill, 2005.
ICON Health Publications.Hyperlipidemia — A Medical
Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide
to Internet References.San Diego, CA: ICON Health
Publications, 2004.
Kowalski, R. E.The New 8–Week Cholesterol Cure: The
Ultimate Program for Preventing Heart Disease.New
York, NY: Collins, 2002.
Lipski, E.Digestive Wellness.New York, NY: McGraw–
Hill, 2004.
McGowan, M. P.50 Ways to Lower Cholesterol.New York,
NY: McGraw–Hill, 2002.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Heart Association (AHA). 7272 Greenville
Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231. 1-800-242-8721.
<www.americanheart.org>.
Center for Disease Control (CDC). Division for Heart Dis-
ease and Stroke Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE,
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717. 770-488-2424.<www.cdc
.gov/cholesterol/faqs.htm>.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). P.O.
Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105. 301-592-8573.
<www.nhlbi.nih.gov>.Monique Laberge, Ph.D.Hypertension
Definition
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood
pressure. Each time the heartbeats, it forces blood into
the arteries. Blood pressure is the force created when
blood moving through the body’s arteries pushes
against the artery walls. Arteries are the blood vessels
that carry blood from the heart throughout the body.
Though many factors can cause hypertension, diet
plays a major role in controlling high blood pressure.DescriptionBlood pressure is measured as it pushes against
the inside of artery walls. The low blood pressure
point, when the heart is at rest, is called diastolic
pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters
of mercury (mm Hg) and the systolic reading is read
and recorded first, with the diastolic pressure reading
following. For example, if a person’s high, or systolic,
pressure is 118 and his or her low pressure is 70, the
blood pressure would be announced and recorded as
118/70 mm Hg, or ‘‘118 over 70.’’ This would fall into
the normal range, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA). The association’s recommended
blood pressure levels are less than 120 mm Hg for
systolic pressure and less than 80 mm Hg for diastolic
pressure.
If a person’s systolic pressure rises above 120 mm
Hg and up to 139 mm Hg or diastolic pressure rises to
a level of 80-80 mm Hg, the person is considered
‘‘prehypertensive.’’ High blood pressure is defined as
a reading above 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg
diastolic. If the systolic raises above 160 mm Hg or the
diastolic goes above 100, the person is considered in
the Stage 2 high blood pressure range. High blood
pressure can have serious health consequences. In par-
ticular, it is a major risk factor for stroke and heart
attack.
Diet is an important part of controlling high
blood pressure. A diet to control hypertension consists
of eating fewer calories, reducing salt, eating more
potassium, reducingalcohol consumptionand eating
lots of fruits and vegetables. Eating fewer calories and
reducing fat, especially saturated fat, will help keep
weight down. And lowering weight to normal range
usually helps lower blood pressure. Salt is well known
as a problem for people with high blood pressure.
Most diets for hypertension includes decreasing use
of table salt andsodiumin processed foods.Blood pressureNormal 120/80
Prehypertension 120–129/80–84
Hypertension 130–139/85–89
Stage 1 140/90
Stage 2 140–180/90–110SOURCE: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National
Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)Hypertension