Infographic: 10 Reasons You Might Have High Blood Pressure

Check out the infographic below to find out some key factors at play in your blood pressure:

1. Age – for those younger than 45, high blood pressure affects more men than women. For those above 65, it affects women at a higher rate.
2. Family History – high blood pressure tends to run in families.
3. Smoking – smoking temporarily raises your blood pressure, but it also has a cumulative effect that damages your artery walls and causes them to narrow. (Secondhand smoke can also have this effect).
4. Stress – although temporary, stress can cause jumps in your blood pressure. (Just don’t rely on tobacco or cigarettes to relax).
5. Being Overweight – the heart is forced to pump more blood through the system, which increases the pressure on your arteries
6. Excess sodium – a high-sodium diet causes the body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.
7. Too much alcohol – drinking too much can damage your heart. Make sure to only drink in moderation (up to 1 drink/day for women and up to 2/day for men).
8. Lack of physical activity – a sedentary lifestyle usually leads to an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.
9. Medication – some medicines can change fluid and salt absorption in the body, which may cause your blood vessels to constrict – leading to high blood pressure.
10. Medical Conditions – some medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease or sleep apnea can increase blood pressure.

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Colon Cancer Screening

Getting regular checkups and colon cancer screening is the best way to prevent colorectal cancer. Finding and removing colon polyps helps prevent colon cancer. In addition, colon cancer screening helps find cancer early, making a cure more likely.

Colon Cancer Screening for People at High Risk

• People with the following risks should begin colon screening before age 50. 
• History of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) 
• Close relatives who have had colorectal disease or polyps before age 60 
• Family history of familial adenomatous polyposis or hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer 

Specific recommendations for high-risk people are as follows:

People with history of multiple or large polyps 

• Colonoscopy at the time of initial polyp diagnosis 
• If 1-2 small adenonatous polyps with low grade abnormality, repeat in 5 years. 
• If 3-10 adenomatous polyps or 1 adenomoatous polyp greater than 1 centimeter, repeat colonoscopy within three years after polyp removal 
• With certain types of polyps or with high grade abnormality, repeat colonoscopy within three years 
• If normal, repeat again in five years 
• If more than 10 adenomatous polyps, repeat in less than 3 years 
• If polyps are permanently attached and not on a stem and are removed in portions, repeat colonoscopy in 2-6 months to verify complete polyp removal 

Large colon polyp seen under colonoscopy

People who have had surgery for colorectal cancer 

Colonoscopy within one year after surgery; if normal, repeat in three years; if still normal, repeat in five years. 

People with a family history 

• Colonoscopy at age 40 or 10 years before the age that the immediate family member was diagnosed with cancer, whichever is earlier; if normal, repeat every five years. 

Family history can be repeating

People with a family history of familial adenomatous polyposis 

• At age 10 to 12, annual flexible sigmoidoscopy. 
• If positive genetic test, colon removal should be considered because of very high risk of colorectal cancer. 
• People with a family history of hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer 
• Colonoscopy every one to two years, starting at age 20 to 25 or 10 years before age that immediate family member had cancer, whichever is earlier 
• Genetic testing offered to first-degree family members 

It is advisable to do a colonoscopy every 5 years after you reach 50's 

People with inflammatory bowel disease

• Colonoscopy every one to two years, starting eight years after the start of pancolitis (involvement or the entire colon) or 12-15 years after the start of left-sided colitis

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