When actor and director Aisha Tyler’s fit, active father suffered a major stroke, it forced her to rethink how she and others treat high blood pressure — a condition that affects nearly half of U.S. adults. The unexpected event showed her that risk doesn’t always match appearance or obvious symptoms, and prompted her to join the CDC Foundation’s Hypertension Bites campaign to help midlife adults better understand blood pressure and how to manage it.
Untreated hypertension is the top risk factor for heart attack and stroke and increases the chances of aneurysm, aortic dissection, kidney failure, and dementia. Bhavna Suri, MD, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology, told Healthline that long-term high blood pressure can thicken the heart’s left ventricle, eventually weakening it and causing heart failure. It can also damage retinal blood vessels, risking blurred vision or blindness, and contribute to atherosclerosis, which may lead to erectile dysfunction.
Hypertension is often silent, so many people feel well and overlook the condition. When headaches, dizziness, vision changes, or fatigue do appear, they’re frequently dismissed as stress, aging, or lack of sleep rather than high blood pressure. Suri emphasized that while there’s no permanent cure, hypertension is treatable and manageable: many people achieve healthy blood pressure with lifestyle changes and medication when necessary.
Tyler says the campaign’s message is simple and practical: see your doctor, learn your numbers, and create a plan. She stresses that medications can work well and that there are actionable steps to lower risk instead of assuming events like stroke are inevitable.
After her father’s stroke, Tyler reassessed her own habits. Once a “no-guts, no-glory” competitive athlete who pushed herself to collapse, she shifted to a science-based routine that prioritizes rest and recovery. She reports feeling better, sleeping more soundly, and being fitter than she was a decade ago. Her daily habits now include aiming for eight hours of sleep, taking at least one walk daily, reducing stress, eating more vegetables, minimizing junk food, and treating wine as an occasional indulgence. She also follows podcasts and videos on women’s health and places greater value on friendships and social connection, which she says improve creativity, well-being, and aging outcomes.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
