Farmàcia Progrés

It is accepted that a person suffers from arterial hypertension when the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated to over 140/90mmmmHg. This threshold varies in cases of certain chronic diseases e.g. for diabetes patients it is 130/80mmHg.
 

At Progrés pharmacy we measure your blood pressure.

If you don´t have any problems with factors that might affect your heart health such as cholesterol, sugar, alcohol or tobacco and if you haven´t suffered from any kind of cardiovascular diseases:

• Before you are 14 years old- at least once
• Between 14 and 40- every 4/5 years
• After 40- every 2 years

If you have any of the factors that put your heart health at risk and if there is history of serious hypertension in your family:

• At least once a year. We also recommend assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease occurrence within the next 10 years (see the link to Cardiovascular Risk Service)

It is up to you which arm you use, left or right.

It is advisable to perform the measurement 3 times, with 2 minute intervals between them.

It should be done on empty stomach if possible, definately not directly after eating and BEFORE taking your medication. Avoid drinking coffee, alcohol or smoking an hour before, and finally, it is recommendable to empty your bladder prior to the test.

If possible use a calm and quiet place with optimal temperature. Remain seated for a while before starting the measurement.

First of all, place the blood pressure cuff on your arm, 2-3 cm above your elbow pit. Then, support the arm on the table and let it relax; now it should be at your heart level. Don´t cross your legs and keep your back supported. Don´t move your arm and don´t talk during the measurement.

We recommend that you set several objectives to achieve:

Reduce your BP and stop arterial hypertension (for patients with normal/high blood pressure).
Take control over risk factors which might be: sugar in your blood, cholesterol, tobacco, alcohol and stress. If you take any antihypertensive medicines, reduce the dose and/or amount.

How can I achieve these goals?

• Lose weight, ideally to a standard norm (Body Mass Index: 18,5-24,9 kg/m2). The keys to successful weight loss are regular exercise and control of calorie intake.
• Workout. It has to be aerobic, regular and moderate. Exercise at least 30 minutes, 4 times a week.
• DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and focuses on diet as a key to treat hypertension by lowering blood pressure. It is a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet which is considered to be a healthy eating plan since it prevents cardiovascular diseases.  

The main aspects of this diet include eating plenty of fruit and vegetables. Dairy products should be low-fat and eating more wholegrain foods is recommendable. Legumes, seeds, nuts and vegetable oil should be included too. Fish, poultry and lean meat ought to be predominant. It is important to reduce salt intake, along with red meat, sweets, sugary drinks and alcohol. In a nutshell, it is a diet rich in magnesium, potassium, fibre and protein.