Introduction
High blood pressure or hypertension is defined as high tension in the arteries. It is a cardiac chronic medical condition where the blood pressure in arteries is elevated. In general, blood pressure is measured as “systolic pressure” and “diastolic pressure” in unit millimeters of mercury, or mmHg. Systolic pressure is the blood pressure exerted as the heart beats and forces blood around body; whereas diastolic pressure is exerted when heart is resting in between beats. Normal blood pressure is around or below 120/80; blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called "pre-hypertension", while the blood pressure above 140/90 is considered hypertension. The detail classification can be referred to the table below:
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries throughout the body. High blood pressure is extremely dangerous as the heart needs to work harder to pump the blood and it results in hardening of the arteries and subsequent the failure of heart. In as many as 95% of reported hypertension cases in the United States, there is no identifiable cause of high blood pressure. However, several factors and conditions may play a role in its development, such as:
About 1 in every 4 American adults has hypertension, which causes the most of heart and kidney diseases. It is especially dangerous as it often gives no symptoms to the patient. About 33% of people do not know that they have hypertension, and this ignorance can last for years. Therefore, the only way to find out if you have hypertension is undergo periodic blood pressure screenings. According to research studies, the risk of heart attack is directly related to high blood pressure. Maintaining lifelong control of blood pressure is essential in reducing the risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke.
- Smoking
- Obese
- Lack of exercise
- Poor diet
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Aging
- Family history of high blood pressure
- Race
- Having high cholesterol
About 1 in every 4 American adults has hypertension, which causes the most of heart and kidney diseases. It is especially dangerous as it often gives no symptoms to the patient. About 33% of people do not know that they have hypertension, and this ignorance can last for years. Therefore, the only way to find out if you have hypertension is undergo periodic blood pressure screenings. According to research studies, the risk of heart attack is directly related to high blood pressure. Maintaining lifelong control of blood pressure is essential in reducing the risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke.
