ANCHOR LEAD: High blood pressure can have multiple effects on your body. Brian Osuch finds out why this is dangerous and what changes can be made to help improve your health and quality of life. (:60)
SCRIPT: Health Care Now, I'm Brian Osuch. About 80 million adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure and many don't even know it. What's more, high blood pressure can have a domino effect on your overall health. Dr. Willie Lawrence is chief of cardiology at Research Medical Center…
CUT: (Dr. Lawrence) High blood pressure does not occur in isolation. Elevated levels of blood pressure can affect organs other than your heart.
SCRIPT: And that includes your kidneys. Dr. George Bakris, of the University of Chicago Medicine…
CUT: (Dr. Bakris) Uncontrolled hypertension, especially if it's been over many years can directly cause kidney disease and that is irreversible. On the other side, kidney disease from causes independent of blood pressure can actually accelerate blood pressure.
SCRIPT: Both doctors agree… lifestyle is the cornerstone of therapy. They recommend reducing the amount of sodium you're taking in, eat an overall healthy diet, read labels on packaged foods and exercise. For more, go to Heart.org/HBP or Kidney.org. That's Health Care Now from American Heart Association and National Kidney Foundation.
SCRIPT: Health Care Now, I'm Brian Osuch. About 80 million adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure and many don't even know it. What's more, high blood pressure can have a domino effect on your overall health. Dr. Willie Lawrence is chief of cardiology at Research Medical Center…
CUT: (Dr. Lawrence) High blood pressure does not occur in isolation. Elevated levels of blood pressure can affect organs other than your heart.
SCRIPT: And that includes your kidneys. Dr. George Bakris, of the University of Chicago Medicine…
CUT: (Dr. Bakris) Uncontrolled hypertension, especially if it's been over many years can directly cause kidney disease and that is irreversible. On the other side, kidney disease from causes independent of blood pressure can actually accelerate blood pressure.
SCRIPT: Both doctors agree… lifestyle is the cornerstone of therapy. They recommend reducing the amount of sodium you're taking in, eat an overall healthy diet, read labels on packaged foods and exercise. For more, go to Heart.org/HBP or Kidney.org. That's Health Care Now from American Heart Association and National Kidney Foundation.
