Hypertension, exactly what is it?

Experts are reporting that the levels of Hypertension being reported are changing and that trend levels are being reversed. The incidence of Hypertension, having been in decline over the past three decades is increasing.

The USA has reported that there are twenty percent plus of the entire population over the age of 6 who have some degree of High Blood Pressure. Hypertension is a dangerous and extremely sinister disease. The real problem with High Blood Pressure is the almost complete lack of recognisable external symptoms whatsoever.

If you were to do an analysis of those suffering from High Blood Pressure then you would find that 30 percent of those suffering from it are completely unaware of the fact. If left untreated, over the years, High Blood Pressure quietly goes about its business and damages virtually every organ in the body and actually places you in more overall danger than virtually any other condition around.

High Blood Pressure is the most important factor behind Stroke, the third most deadly illness in the Western World. Heart Disease, another one of the complications due to High Blood Pressures is the largest killer, claiming over 500,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. Hypertension can decrease your potential lifespan by up to 20 years if left untreated, hence the rather sinister nickname “The Silent Killer”.

It is absolutely essential to identify and diagnose High Blood Pressure as soon as is possible. In fact such is the desire to ensure that as few people suffer from High Blood Pressure that the threshold for High Blood Pressure i.e. the level at which it was deemed safe to have Blood Pressure, has now been lowered so that we now have a condition known as “Pre High Blood Pressure”.

The goal is to try and catch those whose Blood Pressure levels were once deemed to be at the high end of being normal and stop them from becoming sufferers of High Blood Pressure. An important part of the whole approach to Hypertension is to try and make sure that important and sustainable changes to Lifestyle are made as soon as possible.

With Hypertension, if we take a base point of 115/75 mm Hg it has been proved that there is a 100 percent increase in the danger of a fatal Heart Attack or Stroke with every 20 point systolic increase or 10 point diastolic increase. If you know what to look for High Blood Pressure can be detected and measured very easily. Sometimes to treat High Blood Pressure, all that has to be done is effect certain fairly basic lifestyle changes whilst in other cases this has to be supported by additional medication.

With High Blood Pressure nowadays and with the advances in treatment and the information we now have available there is no reason why (though still serious) it should be the Death Sentence it once was. At the end of the day we all probably know someone with Hypertension but that we also in all probabilities know someone who has yet to realise that they suffer from Hypertension.

Further Resources: High Blood Pressure / Living with Stress /Heart Attacks /Symptoms of High Blood Pressure /High Blood Pressure Symptom / Debt Consolidation Services