{"id":10008,"date":"2025-06-18T20:41:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T20:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=10008"},"modified":"2025-06-18T20:43:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T20:43:47","slug":"blood-pressure-the-silent-stroke-trigger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/blood-pressure-the-silent-stroke-trigger\/","title":{"rendered":"High Blood Pressure: The Silent Stroke Trigger"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Man<\/a>At\u00a0 Flushing Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center, we see it all too often\u2014patients arriving with stroke symptoms who had no idea their blood pressure was dangerously high. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the single most important modifiable risk factor for stroke. Yet, millions of Americans live with it unknowingly.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What Is High Blood Pressure?<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Normal readings are typically around 120\/80 mmHg. Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure is consistently above 130\/80 mmHg. Over time, this force can damage artery walls, making them more prone to clots, rupture, or narrowing, leading directly to stroke.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why It\u2019s Called the ‘Silent Killer’<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Most people with high blood pressure feel perfectly fine. There are usually no symptoms until something serious\u2014like a stroke\u2014occurs. That\u2019s why it\u2019s known as the ‘silent killer.’ Regular monitoring is essential, especially if you have risk factors like diabetes, obesity, or a family history of heart disease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How High Blood Pressure Leads to Stroke<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Uncontrolled blood pressure can damage and weaken blood vessels, making them more likely to rupture and cause a hemorrhagic stroke. It can also contribute to the formation of blood clots that block blood flow to the brain, causing an ischemic stroke. Even small, repeated elevations in BP increase stroke risk significantly over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What You Can Do<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The good news? Stroke caused by hypertension is largely preventable. Here\u2019s how you can take control:
\n– Monitor your blood pressure at home regularly.
\n– Reduce salt and processed food intake.
\n– Exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
\n– Maintain a healthy weight.
\n– Limit alcohol and avoid tobacco.
\n– Take medications as prescribed by your doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A Message from Our Stroke Team<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you or a loved one is living with high blood pressure, now is the time to act. Visit your doctor, get your numbers checked, and commit to a healthier lifestyle. Remember: every point you lower your blood pressure reduces your risk of stroke.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At Flushing Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center, we are dedicated to preventing strokes through education, early detection, and community outreach. Let\u2019s work together to silence the ‘silent killer’ and protect our brain health.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At\u00a0 Flushing Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center, we see it all too often\u2014patients arriving with stroke symptoms who had no idea their blood pressure was dangerously high. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the single most important modifiable risk factor for … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10008"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10013,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10008\/revisions\/10013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}