It’s in the news: High blood pressure is never a good thing. The Health Standard decided to take a look at the State of Michigan and see which counties have the highest rate of HIGH Blood Pressure.
Here are the 5 counties with the highest rates of High Blood Pressure in Michigan.
- Lake County has the highest rate of High Blood Pressure in Michigan. Interestingly enough, Lake County has one of the lowest populations in Michigan–as of July, 2021, the population estimate was 12,308.
- Wayne County comes in at number two on the list of Michigan counties with high blood pressure. Wayne County is the most populous of the counties in Michigan. Current population estimates are approximately 1.8 million people.
- Genesee County is number three on the list of Michigan counties with high blood pressure.
- Luce County, located in the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula, has the 4th highest rate of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) in Michigan. Luce County has a population of approximately 5,500 people! One of the smallest in the state of Michigan.
- Chippewa County, also located in the Upper Peninsula, has the 5th highest rate of High Blood Pressure in Michigan.
Looking at the data above, it becomes very clear that High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is not limited just to the largest counties within Michigan.
High Blood Pressure is endemic and it does not care about where one lives or thrives. Because of hypertension’s sneaky nature, it becomes very important that one understand the causes, management, AND treatment of hypertension.
So, below, you’ll find answers to some commonly asked questions about the treatment, causes, and management of hypertension.
Our team of health experts answer some questions about the treatment, causes, and management of high blood pressure and hypertension.
👉 4 Most Common Questions about Hypertension/High Blood Pressure.
How much weight do I need to lose to reduce my hypertension? (High Blood Pressure)
Dr. Puja: The surprising thing here is that you don’t have to lose a lot of weight to start seeing the benefits of having lower blood pressure. Research shows that losing as little as 5 lbs can start having a huge impact on your overall blood pressure.
Your goal here is to start small. As you can imagine, by lowering your weight you’re actually reducing the amount of stress and strain on your heart. And, this, in turn, reduces your blood pressure.
What’s the most common medicine for hypertension? (High Blood Pressure)
The most common medicine prescribed for controlling hypertension high blood pressure is Lisinopril.
In fact, lisinopril is the third most prescribed medicine in all of America. In 2019 there were almost 92 Million prescriptions written for Lisinopril. As you can imagine if Lisinopril is the third most commonly prescribed medication in America, this means that a lot of Americans have high blood pressure.
And we’d like you to know that lisinopril is relatively cheap you can have to get it for as little as $4 a month from any of your major pharmacies.
To note: If you find that your tongue or lips are swollen after taking Lisinopril: Stop everything & go to the Emergency Room or call 911. This is a medical emergency!
What’s one surprising thing that can cause high blood pressure?
Not sleeping well. A lot of people are surprised to find out that not sleeping well can lead to high blood pressure. We’re talking about: Sleep Apnea.
If your sleep apnea is not treated, you are placing your body at risk because your body is releasing a lot of hormones and chemicals at night than can negatively be affecting your heart. And, this, in turn, can cause your heart rate to go up. So, if you have high blood pressure, something you and your doctor will definitely have to consider: do you have undiagnosed sleep apnea?
Is it true that a rare symptom of oral contraceptives is high blood pressure?
Yes. Many oral contraceptives affect your renal arteries. Sometimes, for some people, their blood pressure suddenly skyrockets after using OCPs (Oral Contraceptives).
If you find that your blood pressure has suddenly gone up after taking OCPs, it’s time to go talk to your healthcare team and get something else prescribed.
Content Reviewed & Approved by Dr. Puja