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You Might Have It And Not Even Know It

If you're like a lot of folks, you might think you'd know if you had high blood pressure.

Headaches, dizziness, a pounding heart--they're all warning signs you're blood pressure is running high, right?
Wrong.
High blood pressure has no symptoms. Zero. Zip. Ziltch.

Anything you've heard to the contrary is nothing more than an old wives tale.

You cannot feel that your numbers are high.

For most, the first sign or symptom is a stroke or heart attack.

There's an important study out in today's JAMA that analyzes the number of people who have high blood pressure and don't know it
The study looked at 142,000 people and found half of those with hypertension didn't even know it.
That's 50%.

Here's the deal with a stat like that. All it takes is a routine check by your doc to make the diagnosis and fix it. And in the process, add a decade or so to your life.

Now don't get hung up with risk factors. I've had young, skinny, marathoners have high bp, so don't think you're immune if you don't have a family history, etc.

EVERYONE should have a bp cuff wrapped around the arm every year.
It's quick, its simple, and painless.
Don't wait for "symptoms".

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