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5AUGUST2012BODYOFCHRISTNEWSBlesstheLordOmysoulandforgetnotallhisbenefits.x13Psalms1032Thereisarecenthealthreportthatweallshouldpaycarefulattentiontoandinfactthisreportshouldgalva-nizeustoaction.Thisreportwaspub-lishedinthemedicaljournalAnnalsofEmergencyMedicineonlineJune2012.Therewasaresearchprojectdoneinaninner-cityemergencyroominDetroitMichigan.Withinformedconsent161peoplewererecruitedtotakepartinastudytolookattheimpactthathighbloodpressurehasontheheartinpeoplewhoactuallyhadnosymptomsofheartdisease.Ofthepeopleinthestudy93wereblack51weremenand49women.68ofthestudysubjectswerebeingtreatedforhypertension.Noneofthepeopleactuallychosenforthestudyactuallyhadanysymptomsofheartdiseasesuchaschestpainorshortnessofbreath.Thoseinthestudydidhavehypertensiondefinedasareadingofgreaterthan14090.Thepeopleinthestudybesideshavingtheirbloodpressuremeasuredunder-wentanon-invasiveandpainfreetestcalledanechocardiogramwhichlooksatthestructureandfunctionoftheheartbyjustaprobeplacedonthechestwall.Thefindingsofthisstudywerquitestriking.Itwasfoundthateventhoughtheyhadnosymptomsofheartdiseasetheechocardiogramsrevealedabnormalstructuralchangesintheheartsofthoseinthestudy.Whatwasseenwasabnormalthickeningoftheheartmus-cleanddiminishedpumpingpowerandactionoftheheartmuscle.Whatthismeansisthatinthefuturethosewithsuchabnormalfindingswereatriskofdevelopingcongestiveheartfailureuncomfortablesymptomsofswellingwithshortnessofbreathandprematuredeath.Rememberthesepeoplehadnosymptomsatthetimeofthestudyandallhaduncontrolledbloodpressureeveniftheywereintreatmentforhypertension.ItisnotanunwarrantedassumptionthatwhatwasseenintheemergencydepartmentinDetroitisareflectionofsomethinggoingonalloverAmerica.TherearemanypeopleintheAfricanAmericancommunitywhoselivesandfuturehealthandwelfareareinjeop-ardyfromadetectableandtreatableconditionx14namelyhighbloodpres-sure.Itisaknownfactthatnogroupinournationhasagreaterprevalenceofhypertension.Nowthisstudyshowsthatthosewithinadequatebloodpres-surecontrolmayalreadyhaveheartdiseasethatdoesnotyetcausesymp-toms.Yetwithearlyinterventionthisheartdiseasecanbecontrolledandmuchsufferingprevented.Actionisneededonthepartofthosewithhypertensionthoseinthemedicalprofessionandeventhoseinthecommunitywhocaninterveneintheformofcommunityscreeningandreferral.Wehavetorealizethateventhosewhoarebeingtreatedforhighbloodpressuremaynotbeget-tingadequatetreatmentandcontroloftheirhypertension.IfoneisinvolvedinmedicalcareorevenalaypersondoingcommunityscreeningherearesomethingsyoumayobserveYoumayseepeoplewhoprefernottogettheirbloodpressurecheckedasthejustdontwanttoknow.PeopleassumewronglythatiftheyfeelwelltheydonothaveaproblemwithhypertensionManymaybeunawareoftheread-ingsthatconstitutegoodbloodpres-surecontrolPeoplemaynottakemedicationproperlyanddonotknowforsurethenamesanddosesofthemedicationstheyaretakingTherearethosewholackinsuranceandhavenoaccesstocareandthosewithinsurancemaynothaveseentheirhealthcareproviderforaslongasayearormoreManydonotrealizethecriticalimportanceofgoodbloodpressurecontrolItiscommonfortoomanyofustofailtounderstandtheimportanceoflifestylemeasuressuchassaltrestric-tionweightcontrolproperdietexer-cisemoderationinalcoholuseandsmokingcessation.Thisissuchanimportanthealthcareissuethatitwarrantsamorethoroughdiscussion.Lookformoreinformationnextmonthaswehopetosharewithyouaprimeronhowtocontrolyourbloodpressure.MayGodblessyouandhelpyoutolivelongerandbetter.HEALTHAnUrgentHealthProbleminOurCommunityDr.ConnerByByronE.ConnerM.D.TherearemanyintheAfricanAmericancommunitywhoselivesareinjeopardyfromadetectableandtreatableconditionx14highbloodpressure.