Protect Yourself from Scams - SCAN Health Plan

Boost your activity level. If you’re not currently
active, build up to 30 minutes of exercise most
days of the week. You can break those 30
minutes up into whatever works best for you: a
10 minute walk before or after each meal is fine.
Already active? Add more time and/or increase
your intensity. Check with your doctor first—and
remember, even if mobility is a challenge, you
can still benefit from chair exercises.
Cut back on the salt. Read labels so you can
avoid foods high in sodium. Many now come
in low-sodium versions—but it can still add
up if you eat a lot of processed foods (soups,
crackers, sauces, etc.). Choose foods with less
than 5 percent of the Daily Value of sodium;
avoid foods with 20 percent or more Daily Value
of sodium. When cooking at home, use sodiumfree
seasonings such as pepper, herbs, and spice
blends such as Mrs. Dash. Low-sodium doesn’t
have to mean bland.
Eat an all-around healthy diet. That means
more fruits, vegetables, whole-grains and lean
proteins like chicken breasts, fish and dried
beans.
Stop smoking. It’s just not good for any part of
your body—especially your heart and lungs.
Limit your alcohol intake. No more than 2
drinks per day for men; one for women. Alcohol
raises blood pressure and also has a lot of
calories.
Lower your stress levels. Living with stress can
cause increased blood pressure in some people.
Exercising and getting enough sleep can help.
Consider medications. There are several
common types of medicines used to treat
blood pressure. Your doctor will decide whether
medicine is right, and if so, which type would
be best for you. Be sure to take these important
prescription drugs as prescribed. Taken the wrong
way, they may not work. If you experience any
side effects, let your doctor know right away.
Never stop taking them on your own.
If you are taking blood pressure medication and
it brings your blood pressure into normal levels—
that’s great! But that does not mean you do not
have hypertension. That’s important to remember
should another doctor or pharmacist ask if you
have high blood pressure. The correct answer in
such as case is “Yes, but it is under control with
medication.”
What do the Numbers Mean?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing
against the walls of the arteries. When the doctor
measures your blood pressure the results are
given in two numbers. The first number, called
systolic pressure, measures the pressure when
your heart beats. The second number, called
diastolic pressure, measures the pressure while
your heart relaxes between beats. Normal blood
pressure is a systolic pressure of less than 120
and a diastolic pressure of less than 80, or
120/80.
Systolic (1 st #) Diastolic (2 nd #)
Normal Blood Pressure less than 120 less than 80
High Blood Pressure 140 or more 90 or more
Prehypertension between 120–139 between 80–89
Isolated Systolic
Hypertension
140 or more less than 90
From the National Institutes on Aging Age Page: High Blood Pressure
5