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High Blood Pressure

(Hypertension)

By Parker Stapley

Salt Lake Community College

HLTH 1020

Vernon
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Introduction

High Blood Pressure, or more formally referred to as Hypertension, is a medical

condition that has had my curiosity since I was aware of it. It is an extremely common medical

problem that affects many people globally and here in the U.S.

Diagnosis and pathology

So just what is High Blood Pressure and how do we detect it? High blood pressure a

condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high. When we measure

your blood pressure with a machine that will give two numbers, one above and one below, as a

form of measurement. The number above is known as the systolic pressure and it measures the

pressure of the heart when it contracts and pumps the blood out of the left ventricle. The second

number is known as the diastolic pressure. It measure the pressure left in the veins when they

constrict so that the pressure doesn’t drop to zero.(M.G. 2018)

Health levels should be around 130 systolic pressure and 85 diastolic pressure. Above

140 systolic pressure and you are now at some risk. Ideally you should be at 120 over 80.(M.G.

2018)

Population most affected

We are increasingly likely to have high blood pressure as we get older. High blood

pressure does not cause complaints, so you don’t really know when you have it. Because it

doesn’t cause complaints it is know as a silent killer. You should have your blood pressure

checked very often. The Arm Ron machine is a great way to get it checked. You should check it

three times with about a minute apart on each check. Disregard the first check and average the

remaining two for an accurate read.(MG, 2018)

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My father Earnest who I interviewed said the first moment he was at high blood pressure

was at age 34.(E.R. 2019) People with some form of kidney disease are at high risk. Earnest has

occasional kidney failure. Earnest (and by extension me) have a high risk of high blood pressure

because genes play a large role in getting high blood pressure. If you have a family history of

high blood pressure then you will want to get checked often.(M.G. 2018)

Black Americans are at a higher risk of hypertension than non-black Americans by about

40 percent. They are more likely to develop high blood pressure earlier in life than their

counterparts and are 80 percent more likely to die of a stroke cause by high blood pressure.(O.S.,

1998)

Common risk factors are genes, obesity, kidney disease, sleep apnea, smoking, alcohol,

salt and stress. The three organs that are taking damage from hypertension is the brain and

strokes, the heart and heart attacks, and the kidneys and kidney damage.(M.G. 2018)

This is a common problem around the world. According to the World Hypertension

League who performed a study in 2010, it was estimated that increased blood pressure accounted

for 17.8% of premature deaths around the world. Meaning 9.4 million deaths, 162 million years

of life lost.(N.R., 2015)

Nutrient involved

One of the largest nutrient factors for having high blood pressure is have an excessive

intake of salt in your diet. If you are salt sensitive check your blood pressure before and after

having a high salt food. If the number increases dramatically then limit the amount of salt you

take in.(MG, 2018)

A diet that is geared towards high blood pressure is the DASH Diet. The Dietary

Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet. The diet works towards whole grains high in fiber,
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potassium, magnesium and antioxidants. Plenty of fruits and veggies. Some low-fat dairy. Lean

meats and nuts, seeds and legumes for protein. No high fat or sugar treats. The DASH diet also

showed some benefit in lowering the risk of certain cancers, such as colon cancer.(S.S. 2014)

Rx. And Treatment

I interviewed Earnest who now takes medication for high blood pressure. The pills he

takes is called Curvitival pills. Earnest also have congestive heart failure and in extreme cases

will take nitroglycerin pills to quickly drop his blood pressure.(E.R. 2019)

The Dash diet is also recommended as a non-medication solution to hypertension if it is

preventable.(S.S. 2014)

Citations

Stapley, E. R. (2019, April 18). Dad's Health [Telephone interview].

Goldstein, M., Dr. (Producer). (may 22, 2018). High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and It's

Management[Motion picture].

Campbell, N. R., Lackland, D. T., Lisheng, L., Niebylski, M. L., Nilsson, P. M., & Zhang, X.

(2015, January 31). Using the Global Burden of Disease Study to Assist Development of Nation‐

Specific Fact Sheets to Promote Prevention and Control of Hypertension and Reduction in

Dietary Salt: A Resource From the World Hypertension League. Retrieved April 18, 2019, from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jch.12479

Samaan, S., Rust, R., & Kleckner, C. (2014). Dash diet for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley

& Sons.
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Oparil, S. (1 Nov 1998). Case Study. American Journal of Hypertension,11(S8), 192-194.