Dubbed the Silent Killer because of the insidious way it works away in the background of someone's health. High blood pressure if left untreated and ignored can lead to lethal complications in a wide variety of illnesses.More than 50 million Americans are estimated to have high blood pressure.



High blood pressure occurs more often in blacks-in 32% of black adults compared with 23% of whites and 23% of Mexican Americans.Also, the consequences of high blood pressure are worse for blacks.

It would appear that the risks and incidences of high blood pressure increase proportionately with age with over three quarters of women and 4/6 of men over the age of 75 being classified as sufferers.High blood pressure is twice as common among people who are obese as among those who are not.

In the United States, only an estimated two of three people with high blood pressure have been diagnosed. The treatment figures for high blood pressure and associated conditions are even lower with only 75% of the diagnosed sufferers actually receiving medical treatment.

Hypertension is calculated by way of registering two figures. The first figure is the highest and reflects the highest pressure in the arteries upon contraction of the heart during the process known as systole. The diastolic figure is the second figure calculated and represents the pressure in the hall product to the process of contraction again.

Blood pressure is written as systolic pressure/diastolic pressure-for example, 120/80 mm Hg (millimetres of mercury). This reading is referred to as "120 over 80." High blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure at rest that averages 140 mm Hg or more, a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90 mm Hg or more, or both.

It is now generally accepted that no matter how small the rise in high blood pressure the greater the chance is of complications arising from associated medical conditions. The change in the approach to these limits has occurred through increased research into hypertension highlighting additional unforeseen complications.

Research has shown that it is not unusual for raised figures in both systolic and diastolic pressures for sufferers of high blood pressure. It has been found that where High Blood Pressure has been brought about through increased age that it is not unusual to see a normal diastolic pressure matched with a raised systolic figure.

This condition has been referred to as "isolated systolic hypertension". Where the blood pressure is in excess of 180/110 mm Hg and there is an absence of associate symptoms then the entire condition is referred to as a hypertensive urgency."

There has been an additional condition recognized as malignant hypertension and this occurs when blood pressure readings are in excess of 210/120 mm Hg. This has only been found to occur in about one half of one percent of all sufferers.

Again the incidences of malignant hypertension is greater within the black community and amongst those people from the socioeconomic groups. Unlike hypertensive urgency, malignant hypertension may produce a variety of severe symptoms. If untreated, malignant hypertension usually leads to death in 3 to 6 months.