Check Your Blood Pressure Regularly

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can be a silent, symptomless killer. One in three American adults is living with hypertension and 20 percent are completely unaware. This information is courtesy of the American Heart Association, an independent company that offers health education information on behalf of your health plan.

Ask your heart how it’s doing — you might be surprised by what it has to say. Get started by checking your blood pressure — it’s quick and easy.

Measure it on your own with a blood pressure monitor or have a health care professional do it for you.
Record your systolic and diastolic numbers.
Talk to your doctor about your results to understand what they mean.

This chart outlines blood pressure and what the numbers mean. If your blood pressure is higher than normal, talk to your doctor about types of treatment and lifestyle modifications that are right for you.

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic mm Hg (upper #)		Diastolic mm Hg (lower #)
Normal	less than 120	and	less than 80
Prehypertension	120 – 139	or	80 – 89
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1	140 – 159	or	90 – 99
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2	160 or higher	or	100 or higher
Hypertensive Crisis (Emergency care needed)	Higher than 180	or	Higher than 110

If you have high blood pressure, you may qualify for the State Health Plan's No-Pay Copay program, which provides generic medicine to treat your condition at no cost to you. Learn more about No-Pay Copay.

You can also get one-on-one coaching from a health coach to help you manage high blood pressure. For details, call 855-838-5897.

As a member of the State Health Plan, you may even qualify for a free preventive health screening, including a blood pressure check!