Because of the silent and insidious way it works in the background i.e. no symptoms it is referred to as the Silent Killer. If left uncontrolled or untreated then High Blood Pressure can cause a variety of illnesses all of which could kill if left to their own devices. It has been estimated that in the USA there are potentially 50 million sufferers of Hypertension / High Blood Pressure.
It would appear in certain cases but there are greater percentage of sufferers of high blood pressure amongst the black community as opposed to those in the white or Hispanic community in the USA. For blacks it would also appear the adverse consequences of high blood pressure were worse.
There is no doubt about that at high blood pressure does increase as we age with the figure is called 75% of women and 66% of men over the age of 75 being treated for high blood pressure. For those suffering with clinical obesity the incidences of high blood pressure rise by 200%.
In the United States, only an estimated two of three people with high blood pressure have been diagnosed.Of these people, about 75% receive drug treatment, and of these, about 45% receive adequate treatment.
Two terms are used when calculating high blood pressure, the systolic which is the first and greater of the two figures and refers to the highest pressure of the Arteries. 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." If the blood pressure readings were greater than a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure off greater than 90 mm Hg than to suffer was deemed to be suffering from high blood pressure.
However, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risks?even within the normal blood pressure range'so these limits are somewhat arbitrary.The limits were established because people with blood pressure above these levels are at increasing risk of complications.
In most people with high blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic pressures are high. The one major exception to this widely accepted approach towards blood pressure is when it is arising through increased age whereby it is not uncommon to see a raised systolic pressure alongside a normal diastolic figure.
The term for this condition is ?isolated systolic hypertension?. At the upper end of the spectrum where the blood pressure is over 180/110 and remains so with a lack of associated symptoms then this condition is deemed to be known 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.
However, it is several times more common among blacks than among whites, among men than among women, and among people in lower socioeconomic groups than among those in higher socioeconomic groups. This type of hypertension is unlike hypertensive urgency in that it produces a variety of severe symptoms. If untreated, malignant hypertension usually leads to death in 3 to 6 months.
Hypertension usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.
It makes the heart work much harder and can impair the arteries, causing them to narrow faster. It can also damage many parts of the body and is a major health problem in the USA affecting one out of every three Americans or 65,000,000 people, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
HYPERTENSION: Most often referred to as "high blood pressure", HTN or HPN, is a medical problem in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated and is considered to be present when a person's systolic blood pressure is consistently 140 mmHg or higher, and/or their diastolic blood pressure is continously 90 mmHg or greater.
It can be categorized as either essential (primary) or secondary and is one of the most frequent occuring complex disorders, with genetic implication averaging 30 percent. Hypertension can be a short term or lifelong disease, depending on the cause and is dangerous because it forces the heart to work extra hard.
Pre-hypertension is blood pressure between 120 and 139 for the high number, or between 80 and 89 for the low number. For example, blood pressure readings of 138/82, 128/89, or 130/86 are all in the pre-hypertension area. If your blood pressure is in the pre-hypertension area, it is more likely that you will develop high blood pressure unless you take preventative action. If you have this kind of hypertension, it may not be necessary to take medication.
HEART: Some people may not find out they have high blood pressure until they have problems with their heart, brain, or kidneys. If it is not found and treated, it can cause the heart to grow larger, which can lead to heart failure. With high blood pressure, the heart works much harder, your arteries take a beating, and your odds of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are increased.
If you don't have elevated blood pressure by age 55, you have a 90 percent risk of developing it at sometime during your lifetime, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Left uncared for, it will cause the heart to eventually overwork itself to the point at which serious damage can take place. About half of persons having first-time heart attacks and 2/3 of people having first-time strokes suffer from elevated blood pressure.
It has been shown that laughing heartily 100 times each day gives the same heart benefits as working out for 20 minutes?
TREATMENT: Treatment is focused on lowering water retention and reducing blood pressure to normal levels. When you first start treatment, your doctor may want you to come to the office regularly. He/she will review the information with you and decide if your treatment program is effective or if you need to make changes to it.
Among the 61 percent who are under going treatment, only 35% have their blood pressure adequately controlled. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, see your doctor.
CONCLUSION: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often has no symptoms and is a risk factor for heart and kidney disease and stroke. High blood pressure is not evenly spread throughout the population and happens disproportionately more often in minority communities.
Hypertension rates are also rising among American children, along with an epidemic of obesity. High blood pressure in adults will usually be measured on at least 2 different doctor visits before a diagnosis is made. It can be treated with both lifestyle changes, normally the first step, and, if needed, with drugs. Diuretics work in the kidney to flush excess water and sodium from the body.
Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has hypertension. Once It develops, it usually remains for the rest of your lifetime. Fortunately, it can be easily detected, and once you know you have it, you can work with your physician to control it.
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