Blood Pressure
About 1 in 3 U.S. adults have high blood pressure—and you could be one of them. If you haven’t checked your blood pressure lately, now’s a perfect time. High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms, but it can lead to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
It’s important for you to know your blood pressure numbers, even when you’re feeling fine. Medicare covers blood pressure checks during your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit and yearly “wellness” visits at no cost to you.
If you have high blood pressure, you can help control it with lifestyle changes and medicine. You may be at risk for high blood pressure if you:
- Smoke
- Eat salty foods
- Don’t exercise enough
- Drink too much alcohol
- Have a family history of high blood pressure
- Are overweight
May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month. Find out more about how to prevent high blood pressure and get checked today!
