June 09, 2026

Managing High Blood Pressure in La Grange, KY

High blood pressure is the silent killer because for most people you don't have symptoms. If the blood pressure is very high you might feel symptoms like headache or fatigue, but just every day people don't notice that their blood pressure is high. High blood pressure is diagnosed by having a blood pressure of one hundred and thirty over eighty or higher. It's diagnosed when you have those high readings on two separate occasions. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can have effects on different parts of the body. You have increased risk of heart disease, blockages in the vessels of the heart, heart failure, kidney disease. It can also increase your risk of stroke and vascular dementia.

I consider myself the first line of defense when it comes to detecting high blood pressure and managing it. Depending on how high your blood pressure is, sometimes I'll say, Let's start with lifestyle modifications. Let's work on a diet that has less salt. Let's do one hundred and fifty minutes of aerobic exercise a week. In other patients, if it's too high, we do have to start medications. My goal is to have you on as little medication as possible in order to get that blood pressure less than one hundred thirty over eighty.

So the good news is that high blood pressure can be managed with changes to your lifestyle and with medications. It's my role as your primary care doctor to take that journey with you to help you live your longest, happiest life.

Managing High Blood Pressure in La Grange, KY:

Mackenzie Belle Day, MD
Baptist Health La Grange

This video describes high blood pressure, often known as a "silent killer," because many people have no symptoms, even though it can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, heart failure and vascular dementia. Mackenzie Belle Day, MD, explains hypertension in patients as two repeated readings of 130 over 80 or higher. Treatment begins with lifestyle changes like reducing salt intake and increasing exercise, and then medications are used to manage more challenging cases.

Learn More About Your Health at Baptist Health

If you want to know more about your blood pressure or your general health, reach out to your Baptist Health primary care provider. If you do not have a provider, you can find one by visiting our provider directory.