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Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Provided by: M Yusuf Shk Saifuddin
Ahlam Pharmacy LLC Dubai UAE.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Introduction

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure has two components-the systolic pressure (It is the force that blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart is pumping) over the diastolic pressure (it is the residual force that remains when the heart relaxes between beats). The measurement is written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom. For example, a blood pressure measurement of 130/85 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as "130 over 85."

Blood pressure varies from person to person and by ages. In general:
Normal blood pressure is less than 130 mm Hg systolic and less than 85 mm Hg diastolic. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic.

Hypertension is generally defined as a blood pressure greater than 140/90. You should bring your blood pressure closer to what's considered optimal, 120/80. Elevated in blood pressure is bad because it raises your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Depending on other risk factors, even the high end of normal may be too high for some people. A study done by researchers at the University of Michigan suggested that even slightly elevated blood pressures can be dangerous for some people, especially those who are obese (those with 20 percent to 30 percent above the recommended body weight). Borderline hypertension is defined as anywhere between 140 and 160 systolic, and between 90 and 95 diastolic. Anything above those levels is bona fide hypertension. (The exception is elderly patients. Here, systolic pressures are sometimes allowed to rise to 180 to compensate for aging arteries, as long as the patient doesn't have other risk factors such as obesity or high cholesterol.)

High blood pressure increases your chance (or risk) for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke. Hypertension is often called the silent killer. It is especially dangerous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. But only about half of those who have it know they have it. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. You can prevent and control high blood pressure by taking action.

Hypertension Survey Facts

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) conducted a national survey of more than 1,500 Americans over the age of 50 to gauge the awareness of high blood pressure, including its risks and causes. This group is considered to be at great risk for complications from uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Here are the key findings:

46% of survey respondents did not know their systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) blood pressure numbers.

More than two out of three respondents (69%) have not discussed the physical consequences of high blood pressure with a healthcare provider (doctor or nurse) in the past 12 months.

Only 27% knew the importance of the systolic number as an indicator of high blood pressure.

46% of those surveyed incorrectly believed that the main cause of high blood pressure is stress.

While many people know that stroke and heart disease are consequences of untreated high blood pressure, half the respondents did not know that kidney failure can result from hypertension.

About half of the people diagnosed with high blood pressure have borderline to mildly high blood pressure. For these cases, diet and lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, stress management and self-monitoring with a home blood pressure device, can be used to control and bring down the blood pressure with no side effects. However, if you have elevated blood pressure, you will have to take medication to bring it down and then implement lifestyle changes to make sure that the blood pressure stays low. Thus Complementary therapies are very useful in managing this condition.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Causes of High Blood Pressure

The causes of high blood pressure vary. According to National Institutes of Health, the causes for high blood pressure may include narrowing of the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood, or the heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should. Any of these conditions will cause increased pressure against the artery walls. High blood pressure might also be caused by another medical problem. Most of the time, the cause is not known. Diet, definitely, plays a crucial role in the development of hypertension along with stress.

"Although behavior patterns and stress play an important part, hypertension is most closely related to dietary factors. Hypertension is another of the many diseases or syndromes associated with the western diet, and is found almost entirely in developed countries. People living in remote areas of China, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Panama, Brazil and Africa show virtually no evidence of essential hypertension, nor do they experience a rise in blood pressure with advancing age. Furthermore, when racially identical members of these societies migrate to less remote areas and adopt a more 'civilized' diet the incidence of hypertension increases dramatically.

Michel Murray: Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

Diet

Hypertension is most closely related to dietary factors, especially the "diet of the civilized society." Many dietary factors have been shown to correlate with blood pressure, including sodium to potassium ratio, percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber and magnesium content, and levels of simple carbohydrates, total fats and cholesterol.

Weight

Population as well as clinical studies have repeatedly demonstrated that obesity is a major factor in hypertension.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle factors such as coffee consumption, alcohol intake, lack of exercise and smoking are all things that are very important causes of elevated blood pressure.

Caffeine

The effects of long-term caffeine consumption on blood pressure have not yet been clearly determined. One large study involving 6,321 adults demonstrated a small elevation in blood pressure when comparing those who drank five or more cups a day to non-coffee drinkers. Short-term studies consistently showed elevation in blood pressure. But that usually normalize after a few days.

Alcohol

Alcohol produce acute hypertension in some patients probably via the increased adrenaline secretion. Chronic alcohol consumption is one of the strongest predictors (sodium consumption being the other) of blood pressure.

Smoking

Cigarette smoking is a contributing factor in hypertension. Smokeless tobacco, i.e. snuff, chewing tobacco and plug, also induces hypertension via its nicotine and sodium content. Smoking is also positively associated with increased sugar, alcohol and caffeine consumption. Nicotine stimulates the adrenaline secretion.

Stress

Stress is a causative factor of high blood pressure in many instances. Relaxation techniques such as biofeedback, autogenics, transcendental meditation, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation and hypnosis have all been shown to have some value in lowering blood pressure.

Exercise

Exercise reduces both stress and blood pressure.

Heavy metals

Chronic exposure to lead from environmental sources, including drinking water, is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Elevated blood lead levels have been found in a significant number of people with high blood pressure.

Cadmium has also been shown to induce hypertension. Persons suffering from high blood pressure are found to have blood cadmium levels three to four times of those in people with normal blood pressure. Cigarette smokers typically have much higher body cadmium levels due to cadmium's presence in cigarette smoke.

Risks for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is very common. More than 50 million American adults (1 in 4) have high blood pressure.

Some factors associated with an unfavorable outcome in hypertension are:

Black racial background

Youth

Male

Persistent diastolic blood pressure (i.e. pressure between the pulses, when the heart is relaxed) of greater than 115 mm Hg.

Smoking

Diabetes mellitus

Elevated blood cholesterol levels

Obesity

Evidence of end-organ damage, e.g. cardiac enlargement, ECG abnormalities and congestive heart failure

Your risk of developing high blood pressure is high if you are an African American. Studies have found that African Americans may get it earlier in life and more often than white Americans.

Your risk of getting high blood pressure increases as you grow older. For example, about 60% of all Americans age 60 and older have high blood pressure. (The average percentage in all age groups is 25%)

Other risk factors are: overweight, genetics (those with a family history of high blood pressure have a better chance of contracting hypertension.), high-normal blood pressure (130-139/85-89 mm Hg), high intake of salt and highly stressed lifestyle and poor diet habits.