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What Is Hypertension? What Causes Hypertension? Hypertension

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Last Updated: 29 May 2013 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months
Original Date: 15 May 2009
Vitamin D Can Help Prevent Hypertension 1
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Self-Monitoring Most Effective Way To Lower Blood
Pressure
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Hypertension, also referred to as high
blood pressure, is a condition in which Blood Pressure Is Higher At Night Than Originally
Thought
3
the arteries have persistently elevated
blood pressure. Every time the human
heart beats, it pumps blood to the
whole body through the arteries. Medical News Today
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Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing
up against the blood vessel walls. The 126,003 people like Medical News Today.

higher the pressure the harder the heart

has to pump. Hypertension can lead to
damaged organs, as well as several
illnesses, such as renal failure (kidney F acebook social plugin

failure), aneurysm, heart failure, stroke, or Current ratings for:

heart attack. Researchers from UC Davis
reported in the Journal of the American
Academy of Neurology that high blood
pressure during middle age may raise the
risk of cognitive decline later in life.
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According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, hypertension means "High blood pressure;

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According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, hypertension means "High blood pressure;
transitory or sustained elevation of systemic arterial blood pressure to a level likely to induce
cardiovascular damage or other adverse consequences." Have High Cholesterol
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The normal level for blood pressure is below 120/80, where 120 represents the systolic trial
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Some 70 million adults in the United States are affected by hypertension. The condition also
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High levels of salt intake (sodium sensitivity). According to the American Heart Association -- select from list --
(AHA), sodium consumption should be limited to 1,500 milligrams per day, and that
View list of all 'What Is...' articles
includes everybody, even healthy people without high blood pressure, diabetes or
cardiovascular diseases. AHA's chief executive officer, Nancy Brown said "Our
recommendation is simple in the sense that it applies to the entire U.S population, not just
at-risk groups. Americans of all ages, regardless of individual risk factors, can improve the
heart health and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by restricting their daily
consumption of sodium to less that 1,500 milligrams." The recommendation was published
in the journal Circulation (November 5th, 2012 issue)
Insufficient calcium, potassium, and magnesium consumption
Vitamin D deficiency
High levels of alcohol consumption
Stress
Aging
Medicines such as birth control pills
Genetics and a family history of hypertension - In May 2011, scientists from the University
of Leicester, England, reported in the journal Hypertension that some genes in the kidneys
may contribute to hypertension.
Chronic kidney disease
Adrenal and thyroid problems or tumors

Statistics in the USA indicate that African Americans have a higher incidence of hypertension
than other ethnicities.

What are symptoms of hypertension?

There is no guarantee that a person with hypertension will present any symptoms of the
condition. About 33% of people actually do not know that they have high blood pressure, and
this ignorance can last for years. For this reason, it is advisable to undergo periodic blood

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pressure screenings even when no symptoms are present.

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Extremely high blood pressure may lead to some symptoms, however, and these include:

Severe headaches
Fatigue or confusion
Dizziness
Nausea
Problems with vision
Chest pains
Breathing problems
Irregular heartbeat
Blood in the urine

How is hypertension diagnosed?

Hypertension may be diagnosed by a health professional who measures blood pressure with a
device called a sphygmomanometer - the device with the arm cuff, dial, pump, and valve. The
systolic and diastolic numbers will be recorded and compared to a chart of values. If the
pressure is greater than 140/90, you will be considered to have hypertension.

A high blood pressure measurement, however, may be spurious or the result of stress at the
time of the exam. In order to perform a more thorough diagnosis, physicians usually conduct a
physical exam and ask for the medical history of you and your family. Doctors will need to know
if you have any of the risk factors for hypertension, such as smoking, high cholesterol, or
diabetes.

If hypertension seems reasonable, tests such as electrocardiograms (EKG) and

echocardiograms will be used in order to measure electrical activity of the heart and to assess
the physical structure of the heart. Additional blood tests will also be required to identify
possible causes of secondary hypertension and to measure renal function, electrolyte levels,
sugar levels, and cholesterol levels.

How is hypertension treated?

The main goal of treatment for hypertension is to lower blood pressure to less than 140/90 - or
even lower in some groups such as people with diabetes, and people with chronic kidney
diseases. Treating hypertension is important for reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack, and
heart failure.

High blood pressure may be treated medically, by changing lifestyle factors, or a

combination of the two. Important lifestyle changes include losing weight, quitting smoking,
eating a healthful diet, reducing sodium intake, exercising regularly, and limiting alcohol
consumption.

Medical options to treat hypertension include several classes of drugs. ACE inhibitors, ARB
drugs, beta-blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers, and peripheral
vasodilators are the primary drugs used in treatment. These medications may be used alone or
in combination, and some are only used in combination. In addition, some of these drugs are

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preferred to others depending on the characteristics of the patient (diabetic, pregnant, etc.).

If blood pressure is successfully lowered, it is wise to have frequent checkups and to take
preventive measures to avoid a relapse of hypertension.

Beetroot juice - a research team from Queen Mary, University of London, wrote in the journal
Hypertension that a cup of beetroot juice each day can reduce blood pressure in hypertensive
patients.

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

Lead author, Amrita Ahluwalia, Ph.D., said "Our hope is that increasing one's intake of
vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beetroot,
might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health."

Yoga - Dr. Debbie Cohen and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania reported at the
"28th Annual Scientific Meeting" that yoga is effective in reducing blood pressure.

Telemonitoring improves uncontrolled hypertension - researchers reported significant

improvements in the health of hypertensive patients who used telemonitoring, which can be
used at home. Patients use a portable system allowing them to record and send their blood
pressure readings straight to the doctor's office in real time.

How can hypertension be prevented?

Hypertension can best be prevented by adjusting your lifestyle so that proper diet and exercise
are key components. It is important to maintain a healthy weight, reduce salt intake, reduce
alcohol intake, and reduce stress.

In order to prevent damage to critical organs and conditions such as stroke, heart attack, and
kidney failure that may be caused by high blood pressure, it is important to screen, diagnose,
treat, and control hyper tension in its earliest stages. This can also be accomplished by
increasing public awareness and increasing the frequency of screenings for the condition.

Hypertension speeds up brain aging

Young and middle aged people with high blood pressure have a higher risk of accelerated
brain aging, scientists from the University of California Davis reported in The Lancet (November
2, 2012 issue).

The risk appears to be there even for those whose elevated blood pressure is not considered
enough for medical intervention.

The authors say their findings should encourage doctors to control patients' blood pressure
early on, even the prehypertensive ones.

The team, led by Professor Charles DeCarli, said they found evidence of structural damage in
white matter, and also volume of gray matter among people with high blood pressure, including
prehypertensive patients in their 30s and 40s. They wrote that "(brain injury) develops
insidiously over the lifetime with discernible effects".

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Related articles:

Salt Intake And Hypertension

International Study Identifies Potential Treatment Targets For Hypertension
Research Review Finds Yoga Beneficial In Reducing Hypertension
Hypertension Affects Brain Function In Children
Biggest Hypertension Problem Is That Patients Do Not Continue Taking Their Medications

News on Hypertension
For the latest news and research on Hypertension, and to sign up to newsletters or news alerts,
please visit our Hypertension section.

Sources: National Health Service (NHS), UK, The Mayo Clinic, Wikipedia, HHS (Department of
Health and Human Services USA), NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA).

Written by Christian Nordqvist

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional References Citations

Visit our hypertension section for the latest news on this subject.

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Hypertension

posted by Amir on 23 May 2013 at 3:52 pm

Many of us lead a busy lifestyle. With deadlines and targets to achieve, we neglect our
health.

Good to spend sometime to read this and reflect on it.

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cholesterol - what is normal?

posted by oshars on 27 Apr 2013 at 7:31 pm

what is the normal cholesterol and how to reduce it when it is high than the normal?

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I have had hypertension since 13

posted by Ted on 24 Apr 2013 at 8:59 am

Hello, I have had hypertension as far as I can remember, I think I was 13 when I realized this.
You do not need drugs to control this. I am now 45yrs old and still have this but here is
some of the things I noticed truly helps, do not smoke, eat healthy as possible, try not
drinking too much, stay away from stressful situations, exercise and check your BP as often
as you can, I take a few mins to check mine everytime I go to a drug store, but continue to
see your doctor about it yearly unless you start feeling fatique all the time or seem to be
"drained" all the time, or you have a thirst you cannot quench, or basically you just do not
feel like yourself... You should live a long healthy life so do not worry.

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hypotention apparatus

posted by Sanjoy on 21 Apr 2013 at 1:43 am

I have used this product from TIENS and it helps in reducing the blood pressure

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hypertension for more than 10 years

posted by Theresa on 26 Mar 2013 at 2:58 pm

hi my name is theresa i'am 52yrs old and i did not know what hypertension was back in
2001 a nurse at my job at my work place told me that my eyes were to red and that i needed
to have my blood presure check she took me in her office and took my BP and the reading
was very high she told me that i needed to see a doctor i did not right away but when i was
admitted in the hospital they found out that my possisam was low and that my BP was high
and i was put on HBP meds NOVAS 15mg i dont remember if it was 2 times a day since theh
i'am now on NIFEDIPINE 90mg,SIMVASTATINE,ezetimibe40mg METOPOLOL100mg twice
daily, METOLOPRAMIDE 5mg AMLODPINE BESYLATE10mg LISINOPRIL 20mg,
CLONDINEHCL 0.1mg,FAMOTIDNE 20mg, ESCITALOPRAM 10mg, CYCLOBENZAPRINE
HCL 10mg OXYCODONE/APAP 5-325mg BAYER ASPRIN REGIMEN LOW DOSE 81m

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@ Mike

posted by Jennie on 28 Feb 2013 at 2:27 am

If the scar is worrying you then yes it could be responsible for part of the problem - stress
will increase blood pressure as part of the fight or flight response.

The scar will pull as it's not as flexible as ordinary skin - but if you are concerned please go
and see a doctor, they should be able to advise you how to reduce your blood pressure.

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Not Opinion But Question

posted by Mike B. on 27 Feb 2013 at 9:16 pm

In November 2012 I had cause to check my blood pressure at a hospital and it red 136/?? (I
can't remember the other)

In January 2013, my wife noticed a small scar on the left side of my head that is obvious

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each time I cut my hair very low. An attempt to scratch the scar causes pain.

I also have this pulling (like muscle pull but not in my legs) feeling.

Question is: do you think the scar and the pull has anything to do with the rising of my blood
pressure.
Thanks.

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diastolic hypertension

posted by Shukir on 12 Feb 2013 at 10:31 am

Hi I 44 years old male before three days ago I had sever headache when i checked my BP i
found that my diastolic hypertension was increased. I went to a doctor after all investigation
related to cholesterol, B. urea and chest x-ray, and ECHO the results was only cholesterol
was 201 mg/dl, ADL 120mg/dl. how I can reduce my hypertension, please.
regards

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treatment for hypertension

posted by Michelle on 16 Jan 2013 at 11:12 am

what can you use to treat this.

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treatment of htn

posted by dr mahfooz on 14 Jan 2013 at 4:47 am

if your hypertension is not controlled by control of diet and improvement of life style u
should be take medications and ACE inhibitors is good controller for hypertension in this
age if there is no any contraindications

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lipid profile should be carried out

posted by tamer on 9 Jan 2013 at 2:13 pm

u should be do lipid profile & creatinin hormonal assay (cortison level)RBG

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i have aproblem

posted by asmaa on 6 Jan 2013 at 3:09 pm

i'm 18 and i suffer from haypertension since year ago i dont take any drugs to low it my
presure is between 150-100 i dont have other health problem but i'm affraid from it i dont
want it causes eny healyh problem for me .
i went to doctor but he said to me you are very young and i dont give you eny drug ;but i'm
afraid
realy i dont know what shall i do ??????

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Keep an eye on all foods you eat and exercise regularly to reduce hypertension

posted by Pamela on 3 Jan 2013 at 5:47 am

Visit your doctor regularly for BP cheks

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hypertension at 28

posted by rea on 14 Dec 2012 at 8:58 pm

Hi...m rea 28 years old, already married but no child yet..I am also suffering from
Hypertension, im really very affected knowing that at my age m already suffering this kind of
disease. i'd like to know, y is it that when i went to a doctor for check up particularly getting
my BP. M starting nervous, once i saw the doctor my heart is beating fast, i couldn't control
my self. and really dont know the reason y..and so my BP started to get higher sometimes it
is between 180/120-160/110..she prescribed a metoprolol neoblock for me to lower down
my blood pressure. can u please give me an advice what to do to be at ease every time i go
for check up.. by the way,i am taking up education, is it possible for me to become a teacher
even though i have a hypertension? is it curable? is it alright for me to get pregnant? please
help..thanks and more power...

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complications of hypertension

posted by gerry on 6 Dec 2012 at 9:47 am

hypertension may result in to death or sometime causes shock.

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Elaborate the causes of hypertension

posted by Nangali on 19 Nov 2012 at 7:29 pm

I NEED TO KNOW THE CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION IN EAST AFRICA. ANY IDEAS?

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Causes of Hypertension

posted by makin ienraoi on 14 Nov 2012 at 2:49 pm

I think smoking cause hypertension and also drink to much alcohol without limit it

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I have hypertension

posted by rey pacheco on 20 Sep 2012 at 6:01 am

Iam 39 y/o. i discovered my condition being hypertensive during our company's annual
PE.My BP measurement was 190/100. The doctor requested some lab tests,ecg,kub
ultrasound. I found out I had a very low potassium level in my blood, 2mmol/l which is
actually very alarming coz one time I had experience numbing and dizziness so I was rushed
to an ER.The doctor gave me potassium supplements(kalium durules)for 1 week 3x a day
aside from htn drugs to lower down my bp which I am taking everyday.It's really important to
monitor one's bp especially if you don't experience any symptoms just like me. it helps to
live a healthy lifestyle and eating the right kinds of food. Sometimes it depresses me coz I
know what are the effects of having a chronic HTN. God is my Healer , I believe it so. I hope

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 you too believe it so....

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roll of vit. D in HTN

posted by ashish on 19 Sep 2012 at 9:32 pm

it's a nice article about the HTN . i am 24 year old & i have HTN but i didn't got any symptom
of HTN . and according to BMI i am obese my wight is 80 kg and height is 175 cm .and i
reduced to take more salt on my diet and i daily did exercise on gym but i didn't got good
result . so my qus. is that can vitamin D help me to reduce my weight and HTN . or if yes so
how long course of treatment will be required .

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false info regarding hypertension

posted by paul greene on 5 Sep 2012 at 10:42 am

foods have nothing to do with high blood pressure

smoking not that either i know plenty of people who are obese and smoke and have vital
signs of a 16yr old kid
When i was 18 i had readings of 250 no blockages
in the kidneys now i am 63 have the same readings tryed everypill on the market.the bottom
line it is in your dna period. Screw these doctors they want to part you from your money

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