An Initial 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.

Because it usually does not cause symptoms for many years—until a vital organ is damaged—it has been called "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.

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. For blacks it would also appear the adverse consequences of high blood pressure were worse.

It would appear that the risks and incidences of high blood pressure increase proportionately with age with over three quarters of women and 4/6 of men over the age of 75 being classified as sufferers. For those suffering with clinical obesity the incidences of high blood pressure rise by 200%.

It is a staggering figure that possibly only two thirds of the potential high blood pressure sufferers in the US 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.

When blood pressure is checked, two values are recorded. The higher value reflects the highest pressure in the arteries, which is reached when the heart contracts (during systole).The lower value reflects the lowest pressure in the arteries, which is reached just before the heart begins to contract again (during 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, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risks—even within the normal blood pressure range—so these limits are somewhat arbitrary. The change in the approach to these limits has occurred through increased research into hypertension highlighting additional unforeseen complications.

Research has shown that it is not unusual for raised figures in both systolic and diastolic pressures for sufferers of high blood pressure. It has been found that where High Blood Pressure has been brought about through increased age that it is not unusual to see a normal diastolic pressure matched with a raised systolic figure.

This condition has been referred to as “isolated systolic hypertension”.Blood pressure that is more than 180/110 mm Hg and does not produce any symptoms is “ a hypertensive urgency.

Malignant hypertension, a particularly severe form of high blood pressure, is where thee Blood pressure is at least 210/120 mm Hg. This has only been found to occur in about one half of one percent of all sufferers.

Again the incidences of malignant hypertension is greater within the black community and amongst those people from the socioeconomic groups. Unlike hypertensive urgency, malignant hypertension may produce a variety of severe symptoms. These can be fatal within a period of six months if left untreated.

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