HYPERTENSION

Heart pumps out blood with some pressure so that it can easily reach
extremes. During heart pump, blood has pressure that exerts over the wall of
the arteries called blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) means
that your blood is pumping at a higher pressure than normal through your
arteries

Hypertension now disproportionately impacts low and middle income
countries.Two thirds of those with hypertension are in economically developing
countries.Heart disease and stroke occur in younger people in economically
developing countries. Increased blood pressure was the cause of an estimated
9.4 million deaths and 162 million years of life lost in 2010 and the cause of (2-
8).50% of heart disease, stroke and heart failure.13% of deaths overall and over
40% of deaths in people with diabetes.Hypertension is a leading risk for fetal
and maternal death in pregnancy, dementia, and renal failure
Approximately 4 in 10 adults over age 25 have hypertension and in many
countries another 1 in 5 have prehypertension.An estimated 9/10 adults living
to 80 years of age will develop hypertension.One half of blood pressure related
disease occurs in people with higher levels of blood pressure even within the
normal range.

TYPES:
There are two types of hypertension based on their causes, they are:
Primary or essential hypertension in almost 90 to 95 percent adult with high
blood pressure, there is no identifiable hypertension cause, which develops
gradually over several years.
o Causes
Stressful life
Blood volume increase or forceful heart beating
Salt sensitive individuals
Abnormality in the arteries

Secondary hypertension in almost 5 to 10 percent individual with high blood
pressure, there is an identifiable underlying condition causing hypertension,
which develops suddenly. The various health conditions that cause
hypertension are kidney problems, adrenal gland tumors, and congenital blood
vessel defects.
o Causes:
Sleep apnea
Thyroid disorder
Chronic renal disease
Renal artery stenosis

CAUSES:
You get hypertension if
You are obese
You are often stressed or anxious
You drink too much alcohol (more than 1 drink per day for women and
more than 2 drinks per day for men)
You eat too much salt
You have a family history of high blood pressure
You have diabetes
You smoke
SYMPTOMS:
Nosebleed
Face or eye turns red
Vision problem
Increased heart rate
weakness
sleep (Insomnia)Sore back and/or kneeChest oppression,
palpitations
Shortness of breath
Irritated, and getting anger easily
MEASURING HYPERTENSION:


Its measured in millimeter per mercury.
It is measured with two parameters.
They are categorized as:
systolic pressure the pressure of the blood when your heart
beats to pump blood out. The normal systolic pressure is usually
between 110 and 130mmHg.
diastolic pressure the pressure of the blood when your heart
rests in between beats, which reflects how strongly your arteries
are resisting blood flow. The normal diastolic pressure is usually
between 70 and 80mmHg.

RISK FACTORS:

This hypertension can result in:
Kidney disease
Stroke
Heart attack
Heart failure
Recently, new guidelines released by the U.S. revised the normal range of blood
pressure to 150/90 for people above 60 years of age. Read more about the
guideline. 150/90 is the new normal BP for people over 60
Here is the range of readings and the diagnosis based on them.
Category Systolic BP Diastolic BP
Normal < 120 And < 80
Pre-hypertension 120-139 Or 80-89
Hypertension, stage I 140-159 Or 90-99
Hypertension, stage II >160 Or > 100
TREATMENT:

Eat a heart healthy diet, including potassium and fiber.
Drink plenty of water.
Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.
If you smoke, quit.
Limit the amount of sodium (salt) you eat -- aim for less than 1,500 mg
per day.
Reduce stress. Try to avoid things that cause you stress, and try
meditation or yoga to de-stress.
Stay at a healthy body weight.
Lifestyle modifications:Lose weight
Avoid alcohol
Eat a low-sodium, low-fat diet

The researchers started off examining what the impact of consuming nitrates
might be on laboratory rats, and then confirmed their findings with 15
volunteer humans, all with hypertension.
The following foods are high in nitrates:
Beetroot
Fennel
Cabbage
Lettuce
Radishes
Carrots.


Stay healthy :)