Did I ever receive a surprise last month. When I went for my annual medical check-up, the nurse asked, "How long has your blood pressure been so high?" A second nurse's measurement confirmed the first reading, and sure enough it was high — dangerously high. For 57 years, my blood pressure has always been normal.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms, which is why it's frequently called the "silent killer." Many who have high blood pressure (hypertension) don't even know they have what can be a very serious condition.

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood pumped by the heart, and the size and condition of the arteries. Many other factors can affect blood pressure, including the body's volume of water and salt content; condition of the kidneys, nervous system or blood vessels; and the levels of various hormones in the body. High blood pressure generally means a systolic blood pressure (the pressure generated when the heart beats) consistently over 140 systolic and/or a diastolic blood pressure (the pressure in the vessels when the heart is at rest) that is consistently over 90.

If other diseases are ruled out, hypertension can be controlled with proper treatment. Inexpensive prescribed medications are available that are extremely effective at lowering blood pressure. My blood pressure decreased to normal levels within a week of starting medication. However, untreated hypertension can lead to heart attacks, congestive heart failure, blood vessel damage (atherosclerosis), kidney damage, stroke, and loss of vision. Many of these occur without warning.

Prevention is based upon lifestyle changes that include:

• Maintaining an appropriate body weight. Excess weight adds to heart strain and in some cases, weight loss may be the only treatment needed to lower your blood pressure.

• Exercise to improve cardiac fitness.

• Dietary adjustments to lower fat and modify sodium in your diet.

It's important to have your blood pressure checked by a medical professional at annual exams. In between check-ups, blood pressure testing machines are available for your use at no cost in many pharmacies, and machines may be purchased for home use. Taking a few minutes to check your blood pressure may prevent chronic disability and may even save your life.

Other Bytes

Here are some of the things going on in and around the engineering community:

• Asking the right questions can help ensure that you end up in the right job. In "Finding the Right Job Fit" (HR Magazine, 51(3), pp. 63-67, 2006, http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine), Lisa Daniel and Carolyn Brandon discuss the importance of avoiding becoming a "casualty of the bad-fit syndrome". In many cases a good fit is more important than compensation, benefits, or other incentives. The authors provide many useful interview tips that will help you in your assessment. A list of twenty-five questions to ask during a job interview is included.

• It is commonly believed that organizations that attract and retain the smartest people will have a competitive advantage. The relationship between emotional and cognitive intelligence and job performance is discussed by Stephane Cote and Christopher Miners in "Administrative Science Quarterly, (51(1), pp. 1-28, 2006, http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/publications/asq/). With their research the authors discovered that emotional intelligence can compensate for low cognitive intelligence. The implication of their work is that organizations may be very successful if they attract and retain employees with a high emotional intelligence.

• Innovation is critical to corporate (and personal) success. In "The 12 Different Ways for Companies to Innovate" (MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(3), pp. 75-85, 2006, http://sloanreview.mit.edu/smr/), Mohanbir Sawhney, Robert Wolcott, and Inigo Arroniz discuss a new framework for innovation called "innovation radar" that helps avoid a restricted view of innovation that can miss opportunities. Their twelve dimensions of business innovation were developed through interviews with managers responsible for innovation-related activities across a range of industries and complemented with a review of the academic literature on innovation.

• In "Keeping Trade Secrets Secret" (MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(3), pp. 17-20, 2006, http://sloanreview.mit.edu/smr/), David Hannah discusses how companies often make mistakes when trying to protect their trade secrets — mistakes that may actually lead to more information being divulged. In their introduction the authors provide the statistic that in a 2002 survey of more than 130 firms, 40 percent reported the actual or suspected loss of trade secrets. Other surveys have reported similar large losses. The greatest threat to an organization is current and former employees. The authors discuss eight major mistakes and ways to avoid the problem.

• Many employees donate a considerable portion of their time to assisting charitable organizations. In "Intra-organizational Volunteerism: Good Soldiers, Good Deeds, and Good Politics" (Journal of Business Ethics, 64(4), pp. 357-379, 2006, http://www.springerlink.com), John Peloza and Derek Hassay discuss their research into the motives for this pro-social behavior. Results provide insight of value to employees and managers important to corporate social responsibility.

• To succeed in todays business environment you must be a well-rounded leader. In "Master Class" (CIO, 19(18), pp. 56-64, 2006, www.cio.com), Allan Holmes discuss the qualities that a successful CIO must have. Snapshots of a business strategist, innovator, change agent, project driver, and team builder are presented. These five award winners of the "Ones to Watch Standout Awards" were selected by a 15-member panel. Although the article focuses on Information Technology the characteristics are applicable to other fields.

 

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