Final answer:
A blood pressure of 146/94 mm Hg is considered hypertensive. This condition increases the risk of serious health complications, and treatment typically involves lifestyle changes and possibly medications to manage the high blood pressure. The correct answer is option B .
Step-by-step explanation:
Your patient has a blood pressure of 146/94 mm Hg. This blood pressure reading is considered hypertensive. Blood pressure is written as systolic/diastolic and readings higher than the normal range have various health implications. A normal blood pressure is typically less than 120/80 mm Hg. When the systolic pressure (the first number) is chronically high, it increases the risk of stroke and heart attack, whereas a chronically high diastolic pressure (the second number) suggests potential issues like vessels not dilating properly. Hypertension is often a silent disorder, meaning that individuals may not notice symptoms until significant health consequences arise. Consequently, it's important for hypertensive patients to follow their treatment plan to prevent serious outcomes like heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, chronic kidney disease, or heart failure.
New guidelines state that systolic blood pressure between 120-129 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure less than 80 mm Hg is considered elevated. Chronically elevated blood pressure readings of 130/80 mm Hg or above denote hypertension that requires treatment. Thus, a reading of 146/94 mm Hg exceeds these thresholds and meets the criteria for hypertension. Effective management of hypertension includes lifestyle changes and may involve medication to reduce the risk of complications.
To reduce hypertension, a patient can adopt various strategies such as engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, reducing sodium intake, moderating alcohol consumption, and managing stress. For some individuals, medication such as beta blockers may be recommended to help bring their blood pressure down to safer levels. The goal for hypertensive patients is typically to reduce systolic blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg while ensuring the diastolic blood pressure does not fall below 60 mm Hg.