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YOUR HEALTH HISTORY:
You can take action
today to lower blood
pressure and improve
your health.
Sensible snacking
Looking for healthy snacks that won’t
derail your diet? Seasoned, air-popped
popcorn or a small serving of nuts
makes a great, low-calorie option.
Have a sweet tooth? Instead of
reaching for the ice cream, try fat-free
yogurt with fresh fruit, such as pineapple,
raspberries, strawberries or blueberries.
Source: American Dietetic Association
THROW IT OUT, FLUSH IT DOWN
or give it back?
If you have an old prescription
drug, there may be options for its
safe disposal. Sometimes, however,
certain options are better than
others.
It’s important to make sure that
disposed drugs aren’t accessible
to pets, children or others who
shouldn’t have them. But flush-
ing all drugs down the toilet isn’t
recommended, because some may
affect water sources.
For the safety of all, read the
medicine’s facts. You’ll find disposal
recommendations on the label or in
the printed information that came
with the medicine. Flush medica-
tions only when that’s specifically
recommended.
When flushing isn’t advised,
another method is to remove the
medicine from its container and
mix it with an undesirable sub-
stance, such as coffee grounds or
used cat litter. Then put that in a
sealed container in the trash.
Check with your pharmacist for
more information on safe disposal.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
YOU PROBABLY KNOW YOUR
height and weight—maybe even
your cholesterol numbers. But
there’s another measurement that
can make a big difference in your
health. It’s your blood pressure.
Too high?
About one-third of American
adults have high blood pressure,
also called hypertension.
High blood pressure can lead
to problems such as heart failure,
stroke, aneurysms and kidney
failure, according to the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI). So it’s important to know
where you stand.
Compare your blood pressure to
these categories:
■■
Normal—below 120/80 mm Hg
■■
Prehypertension—120/80 mm Hg
to 139/89 mm Hg
■■
High blood pressure—
140/90 mm Hg and above
WHAT’S
your
safely
BLOOD
PRESSURE?
DISPOSE OF
MEDICINE
Lower your risk
There are steps you can take
today to lower your blood pressure.
The NHLBI recommends these:
■■
Maintain a healthy weight.
■■
Get regular physical activity.
■■
Eat a heart-healthy diet—low in
fat, cholesterol and sodium and high
in fruits, vegetables and grains.
High blood pressure often has
no symptoms, so it’s important to
have your blood pressure checked
regularly. High blood pressure is
a lifelong condition, but once you
know your numbers, you can start
getting it under control.
www.kadlecmed.org • 3