North Shore Hwy 61

You’ve probably heard it before, but when it comes to keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol low, a healthy lifestyle is the most proactive stance you can take.

“We’re always trying to find new ways to say the same thing,” said Patty Doherty, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic R.N. “But really it all comes back to: control your weight, don’t smoke, limit your alcohol consumption.”

Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors in coronary artery disease, also called coronary heart disease. If left untreated, coronary artery disease can lead to heart attack and/or death.

“There are several risk factors for high blood pressure,” said Doherty. “Smoking, obesity, inactivity are risks that we can control. Other risks are genetic: gender, age, race, family history. Just because you’re active and eat well, doesn’t mean you won’t have high blood pressure.”

I always think of it as the good, the bad, and the ugly,” said Doherty.

Although many people associate stress with high blood pressure, Doherty said science has yet to prove that stress contributes to high blood pressure, although it can temporary raise it.

“But how you deal with stress can lead to high blood pressure,” said Doherty. “Some people deal with stressful situations by smoking, eating a poor diet or alcohol. We try to turn it around and promote physical activity as stress relief.”

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can cause little tears on blood vessel lining. Over time, those small tears lead to a build up of scar tissue, causing arteries to slowly harden and narrow. Plaque, and eventually blood clots, can become caught in the narrower arteries and cause a heart attack, said Doherty.

“And that’s where the cholesterol comes in,” she said. “Cholesterol is another risk factor in coronary artery disease. The correlation between high blood pressure and cholesterol is that damaged arteries trap more cholesterol.”

There are three types of cholesterol, said Doherty: HGLS, or good cholesterol; LDLs, or bad cholesterol, and triglycerides.

“I always think of it as the good, the bad, and the ugly,” said Doherty. “The main treatment to raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol is to avoid smoking, really limit alcohol intake, watch your diet, and change your lifestyle.”

Ideally, a person’s blood pressure level should be less than 120 over 80 and a total cholesterol level under 200 is recommended, said Doherty.

If you’re unsure of your blood pressure level, the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic offers free blood pressure screenings on the first Wednesday of each month at the Grand Marais Municipal Pool from 8-9 a.m. and then at the Cook County Senior Center from 10:30 -11:30 a.m. Screenings are held at either Buck’s Hardware Hank or the Java Moose from 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month and are also available at the Birch Grove Clinic.

In addition, a community presentation on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet will be given in the lower level of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic from 5-6 p.m on September 9. The event is free of charge and will be given by a St. Luke’s dietitian. The diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, and low sodium meals. All are welcome, said Doherty.