Latino Americans and The Silent Killer (Hypertension)

By Crystal H. Cao

What Is High Blood Pressure or Hypertension?

Systolic pressure (top number) 140 & higher

Diastolic pressure (lower number) 90 & higher

Untreated high blood pressure can lead to: Stroke

Heart attack

Heart failure

Kidney failure

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms

that is why it is called the “silent killer”

Latino Americans and Hypertension

The two conditions that affect Hispanics most

are:

Diabetes

Hypertension

Hispanic children are more likely to have

hypertension than any other ethnic group in the

U.S. (Sorof, 2004)

Treatment

Can’t be cured, but can be controlled

Using medications prescribed by a

healthcare provider

Taking medications properly

Controlling risk factors

Control Your Risk Factors

Lose weight if you’re overweight

Get regular physical activity

Avoid excessive alcohol

Stop smoking

Manage your stress

Decrease your sodium (salt) intake

Eat for heart health

Quit Smoking

Some aids to help you quit smoking Patch

Gum

Inhalers (nasal and oral)

Oral medication

Get support from friends and family

The CDC has a helpful website (

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit.htm)

Becoming More Active

At home: push the baby in a stroller, get the whole

family involved, walk the dog, clean the house,

wash the car, mow the lawn with a push mower

At work: get off bus/subway one stop early,

replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk,

join the office softball team

At play: walk, skate, jog, cycle, fitness classes,

golf, ski, canoe, row, kayak, take a nature walk

The CDC Website (http://www.cdc.gov)

Make Healthy Food Choices

Eat fruits

Eat vegetables

Limit or avoid:

Frozen or canned foods (these

are usually high in sodium)

Salted or preserved meats

Salted snack foods

Making Healthy Food choices

A heart healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to give up great food or your culture

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Instute’s website (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov) DASH diet Heart healthy recipes Modified recipes for many favorite Latin dishes developed by Latinos

Get Your Family and Friends Involved

You are more likely to stick with the new

changes in your life if you have the

support of your loved ones

They will also benefit from the changes

References

The American Heart Association. (2005). Retrieved on November 17, 2005 from http://www.americanheart.org/

Sorof, J.M., Lai, D., Turner, J., Poffenbarger, T., Portman, R.J. (2004). Overweight, ethnicity, and the prevalence of hypertension in

school- aged children. Pediatrics, 113, 475-82. Retrieved on November 17, 2005, from http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2136/citation.asp?tb=ug