Establishing a Basic Understanding of High Blood Pressure

The Phrase High Blood Pressure conjures up a variety of things to all people.In medical terms, hypertension refers to high blood pressure, regardless of the cause.

Dubbed the Silent Killer because of the insidious way it works away in the background of someone’s health. 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.More than 50 million Americans are estimated to have high blood pressure.

In the USA initial investigations would seem to highlight that within the black community 32% off the community how to high blood pressure as opposed to 23% within the White and Hispanic communities.Also, the consequences of high blood pressure are worse for blacks.

High blood pressure occurs more often in older people—in about three fourths of women and almost two thirds of men aged 75 or older, compared with only about one fourth of people aged 20 to 74.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. Of this figure about three quarters are receiving medical treatment and of this first three quarters only 50% are receiving adequate 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. As would appear logical the second figure relates to the process of contraction within the heart known as diastole.

Blood pressure figures are written as two numbers, the first over the second (120 over 80) and is calculated in millimetres of mercury which is the traditional form of measurement. In the early days it was felt that high blood pressure started when the diastolic pressure walls at a minimum average over 140 mm Hg all the diastolic figure was greater than 90 mm Hg.

However it has now been recognized that even these figures may be arbitrary as even the smallest increase in blood pressure is a risk.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.It occurs in only about 1 of 200 people who have high blood pressure.

For some apparent reason that is not necessarily had an adequate medical explanation the incidences of malignant hypertension are increased within the black community and those within the lowest socioeconomic groups. This type of hypertension is unlike hypertensive urgency in that it produces a variety of severe symptoms. Malignant hypertension if left untreated can lead to fatal consequences within six months.

Floyd Thursby writes regularly on High Blood Pressure issues and more information on the above can be found at High Blood Pressure ,High Blood Pressure Symptom and also at www.livingwithhighbloodpressure.net/treatment.html

Article Source: http://www.wellnessarticlelibrary.com

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated