One of the most common screens our chiropractic office performs is blood pressure screenings. When we perform DOT (department of transportation) evaluations on truck drivers, their guidelines are the ones we follow for all our patients. This include the following blood pressure readings of 180/110 or higher are considered stage 3 hypertension and definitely require medical intervention Less than 140/90 allows you to pass the evaluation and get a 2 year certificate. 40/90 and 159/99 mmHg are required to be certified annually and are considered low risk. 160/100 and 179/109 mmHg may receive a one-time three-month certification and are considered moderate risk While patients are used to this being done routinely in a doctors office, we as chioprators who are primary care for the musculoskeletal system need to be aware of this as well. While most patients are usually normal or low risk, occasionally patients will come in with vertigo and as we found out with one of our patients, his blood pressure medication was making his pressure too low causing the vertigo. Most patients with vertigo are helped tremendously by chiropractic care, but in this case, not knowing and understanding the dynamic of medication would have made it impossible to figure this out. I sent him to my primary doctor who also agreed with our conclusions as well. According to the Merican Heart Association, High blood pressure may result in strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure and other chronic illnesses. "High blood pressure is a major cardiovascular risk factor, leading to bad outcomes in the heart and brain, High blood pressure is a major cardiovascular risk factor, learn more from the American Heart Association here. Recently, the NY Times offered their advice on why blood pressure is important and how to get it under control. There are many reasons for blood pressure to be high, some of which are salt intake, kidney issues and other problems within the body. Medically, they manage it with medication however, if the body normalizes, as it did with our patient who had vertigo as a consequence of medication, often changes in lifestyle, stress and how we eat can also reduce our pressure naturally. Check out the NY Times article below. Why High Blood Pressure Matters to Your Health And how to get it under control. By Liz Szabo Feb. 29, 2024 Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure — but only a quarter of those with hypertension have it under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High blood pressure “is a smoldering public health crisis,” said Dr. Rishi K. Wadhera, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an author of new research showing that blood pressure screenings have not returned to what they were before the coronavirus pandemic. High blood pressure can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, pregnancy complications and other health problems, but the symptoms are “often silent,” Dr. Wadhera said. “I worry it flies under the radar for many patients,” he added. Here’s what to know about the issue, and how to get your blood pressure under control. Read more