Cardiologist Serving Katy, Sugar Land, Greater Houston
A plain-language guide to high blood pressure, plus outpatient evaluation and long-term management with Adnan Khalid, MD at our Katy and Sugar Land offices.
Dr. Khalid reviews your symptoms, history and test results himself
Visits in Katy and Sugar Land
Catheter and device procedures at an affiliated hospital
Office follow-up on medicines and risk factors
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, means the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries stays higher than it should over time. Blood pressure naturally rises and falls during the day. Hypertension is diagnosed when properly measured readings remain elevated on several occasions, not from a single high number.
A reading has two numbers. The top (systolic) number is the pressure when the heart squeezes. The bottom (diastolic) number is the pressure while the heart relaxes between beats. For adults, readings below 120/80 mm Hg are considered normal. A top number of 120–129 with a bottom number below 80 is called elevated blood pressure. Stage 1 hypertension starts at 130–139 systolic or 80–89 diastolic, and stage 2 starts at 140 systolic or 90 diastolic.
Why does this matter? Pressure that stays high makes the heart work harder and gradually damages blood vessels. Over the years this can contribute to coronary artery disease, a thickened or enlarged heart, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease.
Common risk factors include older age, a family history of high blood pressure, high sodium intake, low physical activity, excess weight, diabetes, kidney disease, sleep apnea, tobacco use and heavy alcohol use. Some medicines and supplements can also raise blood pressure.
Usually not. Most people with hypertension feel completely normal, which is why it is often called a “silent” condition. Headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds or a flushed face are not reliable signs that your blood pressure is high, and feeling well does not mean your pressure is controlled. The only way to know is to measure it correctly.
Symptoms are more likely when blood pressure is extremely high or when it has already affected the heart, brain, eyes or kidneys. Warning signs can include:
These symptoms need emergency care (see below). Because most people have no symptoms at all, regular blood pressure checks are important, especially if you have a family history of hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease or other cardiovascular risk factors.
Many people with uncomplicated hypertension are treated successfully by their primary care clinician. A cardiologist can help when blood pressure is hard to control, when several medicines are needed, or when hypertension occurs alongside heart disease, an irregular heartbeat, diabetes, kidney disease or a previous stroke. At Advanced Cardiology, Dr. Khalid’s role includes:
High blood pressure rarely causes harm overnight. The damage builds slowly, which is why steady control over months and years matters more than any one reading. Uncontrolled hypertension raises the risk of:
Treatment aims to lower these long-term risks, not just to reach a lower number at one visit. High cholesterol often occurs together with hypertension, so your overall cardiovascular risk is considered as well (see our high cholesterol page).
A reading above 180/120 mm Hg is considered severe. If you get a reading that high at home, wait a minute and measure again with proper technique.
Some warning signs need 911 at any blood pressure. Call 911 for chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes, and for stroke signs: face drooping, arm weakness or speech difficulty, even if the symptoms go away. Office phone messages and online appointment requests are not for emergencies.
A hypertensive emergency is treated in a hospital, where blood pressure is lowered gradually under close monitoring and the cause is investigated. After you are discharged, outpatient follow-up is important. A follow-up visit with a cardiologist may include:
Most people do best with regular follow-up and a plan they can realistically keep. Blood pressure medicines often need to be adjusted gradually, and a normal reading on treatment usually means the medicine is working, not that it is no longer needed.
Lifestyle changes help almost everyone with high blood pressure, whether or not medicine is also needed. Steps that can lower readings over time include:
If you have kidney disease or take certain medicines, ask before using potassium-based salt substitutes.
Can high blood pressure go away? Readings can improve a great deal with lifestyle changes and treatment, and some people need less medicine over time. Most people still need ongoing monitoring, so changes to treatment should be made with your clinician.
What is white-coat hypertension? Some people have higher readings in a medical office than at home. Home or ambulatory monitoring helps show your usual pressure so treatment is based on accurate numbers.
Can I have a video visit? Ask our office whether a video visit is appropriate for your follow-up. Rules depend on where you are located during the visit, and some visits need an in-person exam or tests.
Advanced Cardiology sees adults with high blood pressure at two offices. For an overview of evaluation, treatment options and resistant hypertension at both locations, see hypertension treatment in Katy & Sugar Land. Each location also has its own page with practical details:
New patients are welcome, and most major insurance plans are accepted; coverage is verified individually. Call (713) 258-6111 or use our appointment request form. Please call to confirm office hours for each location.
Sources: NHLBI – High Blood Pressure · MedlinePlus – High Blood Pressure · American Heart Association – Warning Signs of a Heart Attack · American Stroke Association – Stroke Symptoms
Adnan Khalid, MD, cares for adults with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, arrhythmias and high cholesterol. He is the cardiologist at Advanced Cardiology’s Katy and Sugar Land offices.
Dr. Khalid earned his medical degree at Nishtar Medical College and completed his internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine. His listed specialties include cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. He speaks English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu.
Dr. Khalid believes in spending time with his patients, listening to their concerns and explaining each step of their care. Outside work, he enjoys reading, working out, travel and time in nature with his family. He is married with three children.
American Board of Internal Medicine
Interventional Cardiology
Please complete your registration forms before your visit, or print them and bring them to your appointment at our Katy or Sugar Land office. If your insurance requires authorization, please be sure to have that information sent to our office or bring it with you to your appointment, along with any medical records you may have. Please also make sure to bring your insurance cards, photo ID, and medication list.
Thank you, and we look forward to meeting you! Contact us today with any questions.
Most major insurance plans accepted; coverage is verified individually
(713) 258-6111
Your Cardiologist
# Cooperative & professional staff. Dr. Khalid is highly competent & experienced. Very kind & friendly too.
# He’s A Very Caring & Concerned Doctor. He Asks Important Questions, He Allows Me To Ask Questions & Fully Answers To My Satisfaction. He Diagnosis & Does Whatever It Takes To Fix My Health Issues. He’s A Wonderful Doctor…& Most Of All, I Trust Him & His Staff.
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Katy & Sugar Land Cardiologist
Advanced Cardiology welcomes new patients at its offices in Katy and Sugar Land. Call our office or send an appointment request, and our staff will follow up.
Most major insurance plans accepted; coverage is verified individually.
For possible heart attack or stroke symptoms, call 911.
