In June of 2015, a radical surgery changed the trajectory of my health status in a way I’ve not navigated before. After the surgery, I was prescribed a synthetic hormone regimen to supplement my body because my body could no longer produce the hormones I needed.
The most noticeable side-effect from the medication was hypertension (high blood pressure). For me, elevated blood pressure brings on migraines and makes me generally feel very uncomfortable in my body. When my blood pressure is high, I often feel dizzy, lightheaded, and am unable to concentrate.
Having not experienced this exact combination of feelings before, it was hard to put my finger on the cause of the increased migraines and overall discomfort level. Because of my recent surgery, I was working closely with my doctor, which meant blood pressure readings during every visit.
It didn’t take long to identify the hypertension and I was prescribed an Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB) to chemically reduce my blood pressure.
That was all well and good until I moved to California and decided I didn’t want to take my blood pressure medication anymore. I also stopped taking my blood pressure on a regular basis, so I wasn’t monitoring what was going on with my body.
Not taking my medication was a bad idea for several reasons, the first one being I didn’t have a care provider in my new home state, and didn’t consult with anyone before doing it. I also wasn’t checking my blood pressure because it has been normal for a few years and I felt fine.
When I started feeling bad, I was thankful to have an older monitor and checked my blood pressure at home. Not surprisingly, the result was alarmingly high blood pressure readings.
Following are the new guidelines published by American Heart Association News in November of 2017. The new guidelines lowered the threshold for hypertension from 140/90 mmHG to 130/80 mmHG. As a result, more than 103 million Americans are now classified as hypertensive.
The bad news about being hypertensive is the most common ways people learn of their hypertensive status are by suffering a cardiac event like a heart attack or stroke, or through regular monitoring their blood pressure.
The prospect of having a cardiac event hits close to home for me. Literally. My dad suffered a disabling stroke at the age of 56. According to the American Heart Association, “Stroke is a leading cause of death and severe, long-term disability.” In addition, my mother suffered a heart attack at age 62. Both of my parents (who passed several years ago) suffered from hypertension for as long as I can remember. Daily medications were part of their routine. As their diseases progressed and increased in number, regular blood pressure readings became part of that routine as well.
This leads me to wonder, had they checked their blood pressure more regularly and earlier on in their disease process, could things have been different?
That’s precisely the stand Omron is taking with their Going for Zero™ mission — the elimination of heart attack and stroke. Omron envisions a world with zero heart attacks and zero strokes. They offer followers an opportunity to “Imagine a world where zero is the biggest number of all” and plan to help everyone get there through education and products designed to facilitate accurate, easy, and effective blood pressure readings.
The Going to Zero™ campaign claims, “Together, we can redefine heart health, today, tomorrow and beyond.” They further assert, “It’s not enough to know your blood pressure numbers – it’s time to act on them.”
Just as my blood pressure issues resurfaced, I was contacted with an opportunity to join the campaign and evaluate EVOLV, a wireless, upper arm blood pressure monitor. To me, this was just another example of the Universe having my back and the beauty of synchronicity through the Law of Attraction.
Having used a clunky blood pressure monitor that oddly stopped working just before I received the EVOLV monitor, I must say I’m very pleased to have an accurate, effective way to measure my blood pressure on demand and in my own home (and on the road, for that matter).
As noted, EVOLV is a wireless, portable, self-contained device that’s been clinically validated for accuracy and received FDA clearance. Once positioned, it just takes one button press to begin the reading. EVOLV uses Omron’s exclusive heart health algorithm, Advanced Accuracy, that “measures more data points and eliminates interference from movement for more precise, clinically-accurate readings.”
You know what’s better? It fits my extra-large upper arms that I often not so affectionately refer to as my “lunch lady arms.” In a recent visit with the doctor, he remarked “The large shape of your upper arm makes it difficult to get an accurate reading.” That’s a non-issue with EVOLV. Plus, because it provides accurate readings from my lunch ladies, without a stern reminder about their shape, there’s no need to feel ashamed of my misshapen arms and the doctor using an extra-large cuff, or trying unsuccessfully to get the regular cuff to fit.
The new monitor by EVOLV is also Bluetooth enabled with a corresponding Omron Connect App to sync readings with my phone, provide reporting, and transmitting details to my physician.
This is a welcome change to help today’s virtual, digital world stay abreast of technology while facilitating better adoption by users of all ages.
Regular monitoring is key to make improvements of any kind. We cannot change what we don’t acknowledge, and blood pressure monitoring provides a baseline and details progress over time.
In an effort to feel better, and most importantly to reduce my risk of heart attack and stroke, I’m taking the Going for Zero pledge. I’m grateful to have such a sophisticated, easy to use monitor to help me get to a healthier place for me and those I love.
Who is with me?
Let’s do this!
Photo courtesty of author.
Post made possible by site sponsor Omron.