Here’s why you should monitor your blood pressure, keep it in check

An Ottawa pharmacist says blood pressure is a good indicator of overall health, noting the importance of keeping it at healthy rates.

An Ottawa pharmacist says blood pressure is a good indicator of overall health, noting the importance of keeping it at healthy rates.

“It is a risk factor for so many things, (including) heart attack, strokes, longevity (and) how long you’re going to live,” Jordan Clark, a pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart, told CTV Morning Live Friday.

“We know that high blood pressure over time can have a negative effect on your organs, on your heart, (and) on your blood vessels.”

Making sure your blood pressure is at a healthy rate by frequently measuring it is a good way to prevent those medical conditions, Clark adds, noting that it shouldn’t be too high.

Clark defines blood pressure as a measure of the force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels (arteries).

“So, if you think about the heart, it’s a muscle. So, it’s pumping. It’s that kind of sound that it makes. When it pumps, that’s the highest number. So, it’s the force of the blood going through your arteries. That’s called your systolic blood pressure. That’s your top number,” he said.

“Your lower number is the diastolic number. That’s when your heart relaxes. That number is always going to be a little bit lower.”