Your Personal Best: Blood Pressure Control

By WVUA 23 Digital Reporter Kyrsten Eller

As people get older, it’s important they know their blood pressure numbers so they can keep it under control and further reduce the risks of heart attacks or strokes.

According to Dr. Milady Murphy, “120/80 to less is what we should be striving for. They indicated arterial pressure and how hard the heart muscle has to work in pumping blood and oxygen into our system.”

Murphy said there are four key strategies in helping people keep their blood pressure in check, and these include exercising, dieting, cutting out stress and working with your doctor if needed.

“Exercising thirty minutes or more five days a week is important to do for our heart health,” said Murphy. “Following the guidelines of the DASH diet or the mediterranean diet is important because they focus on more fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein and good fats.”

It’s also recommended that people cut down on sodium and saturated fats overall to prevent any further heart issues.