AHA High Blood Pressure Toolkit

9 BP Raisers Many things can affect your blood pressure (BP). It is critical to understandwhatmedications and substances you should avoid to support a healthy BP. SMALLCHANGESCANMAKEA BIGDIFFERENCE Be your own health advocate by following a healthy lifestyle, such as reducing sodium and checking your blood pressure as part of your daily routine. High blood pressure – a systolic blood pressure reading of130mmHg and above or a diastolic reading of 80mmHg and above – is a serious health condition that can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Take these steps to control your risk. AmericanHeartAssociation’s efforts to improve healthy choices related to livingwith high blood pressure is proudly supported byTYLENOL ® . AVOID: • Illicit and recreational drugs • Herbal supplements • Foods that contain tyraminewhen taking antidepressants, such asMAOIs (monoamine-oxidase inhibitors) • NSAID painmedication (drugs like acetaminophen are less likely to increase BP) • Amphetamines • Certainmedications to treatmental health • Corticosteroids, such as prednisone • Immunosuppressants • Oral birth control (consider alternative forms such as barrier, IUD, abstinence) • Certain cancermedications (such as angiogenesis inhibitors) NOTE: Do you suffer from chronic pain?Certain medicines can raise your BP ormake your BP medication less effective. Talk to your healthcare provider for guidance if you have any questions. TALK TO YOURHEALTHCARE PROVIDERABOUT STARTING, STOPPINGOR CHANGING: LIMIT: • Alcohol to less than1 drink a day forwomen and less than 2 drinks a day formen • Caffeine to less than300mg per day (about 2-3 cups of coffee); avoidwith hypertension • Decongestants and some cold medicines; avoidwith severe or uncontrolled hypertension ©2018AmericanHeartAssociation, Inc.,All rights reserved. Learn What Could Raise Your Blood Pressure heart.org/bptools Several medications and other substances may cause an elevated BP. Be sure to ask your patients about their use of medications, including over-the-counter medicines or other substances. Discuss how these substances may increase BP and identify any that your patients should avoid, limit or stop to help maintain a healthy BP. Chronic pain affects more adults than coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer com- bined. As a result, the use of pain relievers is common. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase BP because they reduce renal blood flow and cause sodium retention. Patients older than 65 years are at most risk for this effect. For patients with high blood pressure, pay extra attention when selecting medications for pain relief. Certain pain relievers can interfere with their hypertension management. In Practice Encourage your patients to talk openly about what over-the-counter medicines and substances they consider using. Print the list of medications and substances shown above , create an encouraging environment and start the conversation with your patients. Encourage patients with elevated BP or hypertension to consider using pain relievers other than NSAIDs. IDENTIFYING BP RAISERS Identifying Medications and Substances that May Cause Elevated BP Download this infographic to help easily identify potential BP Raisers.