Check Your Blood Pressure, Before It Checks YOU!

(image courtesy of Google images)

Recently, someone close to me revealed his fight with Hypertension. In light of recent media reports regarding deadly Staph Infections and other maladies, it's easy to forget about Hypertension. But we shouldn't forget it, as it predominantly affects the black community in an adverse way.

Brian has had this "1000lb gorilla"(as he refers to Hypertension) riding his back, for over 10 years now.
Today, you or someone you know is fighting this same fight. I have at least 3 people in my family, and the youngest was diagnosed in her early 20's.

Please take the time to scroll down and read Brian's story below (look at the statistics!) and offer words of encouragement to him on his blog Brian's blog.
He's one of us, and I'm sure he'd appreciate the love & edification.

MY PRIVATE BATTLE!

Hello World!

Instead of writing about the "going on's" of my life, I decided to touch on an illness that I suffer with that is known as the "silent killer", High Blood Pressure.

I equate having High Blood Pressure with having a 1000 pound gorilla riding your back. For me it zaps me of energy, causes me tremendous headaches, and at times makes me physically ill. I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure while I was running for State Representative in Tennessee back in 1996. Because of my physical build , I never thought I would be stricken with High Blood Pressure. I always assumed it was a condition "fat " people suffered from.Because I was a high school and college athlete, I have always been in great condition. Yet I failed to take in account that because of a family history of High Blood Pressure, I was a prime candidate to fall prey to this sometimes crippling sickness.


When I was in law school in Birmingham, my condition of High Blood Pressure seem to worsen causing me to go to the hospital on several occasions. There were even times when I would collapse due to elevated pressure, only awakening in the emergency room.

I am on medications now that control my blood pressure, yet I have to be focused on making sure that I take the medicine properly.

This week , I ask all of the readers of the Files of Brian Clay,to monitor your blood pressure. For your family's sake ....They Need you!.... I want you around! STAY HEALTHY!

Statistics

African Americans and people of African descent in the United Kingdom have among the highest rates of hypertension of any race or ethnic type in the world.¹

• 35% of African Americans have hypertension, which accounts for 20% of the African American deaths in the United States - twice the percentage of deaths among whites from hypertension.¹
• Compared with whites, hypertension develops earlier in life and average blood pressures are much higher in African Americans.²
• African Americans with high blood pressure have an 80% higher chance of dying from a stroke than in the general population.²
• African Americans with high blood pressure have a 20% higher chance of developing heart disease than in the general population.²
• African Americans with high blood pressure have a 4 times greater risk of developing hypertension related end stage kidney disease than the general population.²