Hypertension

Hypertension Description: Hypertension is considered the most common cardiovascular problem in the U.S. today. Approximately 50 million people have hypertension that requires monitoring or treatment, or both. Hypertension The condition is usually detected in people aged 30 to 50 years; however, it is being found with increasing frequency in children. Hypertension occurs twice as often in blacks as in whites and is more common in women than in men. Hypertension is called “the silent killer” because it often has no symptoms and is not discovered until a serious complication develops. It has been estimated that 50% of those with hypertension do not know they have it, but public education is improving the detection rates for this condition. Complications of hypertension, including damage to the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes, increase after age 50 years. Men, especially black men, suffer serious complications more often than women. Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death in hypertensive people. The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure defines normal blood pressure as systolic pressure of less than 130 mm Hg and diastolic pressure of less than 85 mm Hg. blood, hypertension, pressure, patient, treatment, symptoms, people, drug, therapy, heart, disease, reduce, often, mm, hg, good, exercise, elevations, drugs, because, weight, underlying, systolic, sodium, serious, secondary, relaxation, reduction, reduces, primary, patients, normal, men, lower, less