HYPERTENSION

HYPERTENSION

It was found that the causes of high blood pressure are so much more complex than just eating too much salt.  According to sources, only about 5% to 10% of people with high blood pressure will ever know the exact cause.  High blood pressure increases the risk for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke.  It is especially dangerous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms.  Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure.  Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime.

Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the walls of arteries as the blood passes through.  If the pressure is too high, that force can literally gouge holes in your arteries over time.  Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers—the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats).  The systolic number is on top and the diastolic number on the bottom.  Blood pressure varies -- it tends to be lower at night during sleep and higher in the morning.  Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic.

Your heart and arteries have a big impact on blood pressure.  The amount of blood your heart pumps, how wide or narrow your arteries are, and the volume of blood in your bloodstream all affects your blood pressure.  If your arteries are too narrow, if you have greater-than-normal blood volume, or if your heart beats more forcefully than it should, high blood pressure can occur.

The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  High blood pressure also can result in other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.  A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high.  Prehypertension is when the blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg.  High blood pressure is a condition that most people have at some point in their lives.

Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults

(Ages 18 Years and Older)

	Blood Pressure Level (mmHg)
Category	Systolic		Diastolic
Normal	< 120	and	< 80
Prehypertension	120-139	or	80-89
High Blood Pressure
Stage 1 Hypertension	140–159	or	90–99
Stage 2 Hypertension	160	or	100

REFERENCES

1.          The Mysteries of High Blood Pressure, Learn what's happening in your body -- and what you can do to bring your numbers down, By RealAge

2.         http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/bp/bp.htm