Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHG or higher. Blood pressure is the measurement of the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, which is measured in mmHG. The two measurements in the fraction are the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure is when your blood pressure is at its highest, when the heart beats, pumping blood into the arteries. The diastolic pressure your blood pressure when it falls, which occurs between beats when your heart is at rest. “Normal” blood pressure is less than 120/80. High blood pressure is dangerous because it forces the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body and it also contributes to the hardening of arteries, or atherosclerosis.
Blood pressure can be divided into several categories, including normal 120/80, prehypertension 120-139/80-89, Stage 1 hypertension 140-159/90-99, and Stage 2 hypertension 160 and above/100 and above (High blood pressure new 2004). Although your blood pressure changes throughout the day, but for the majority of your waking hours it is the same when you are sitting or standing still.

High blood pressure has been nicknamed the “silent killer” because there are usually no symptoms involved, though nearly one in three American adults has hypertension. If hypertension is not found and treated, it can cause enlarging of the brain, which can lead to heart failure, aneurysms (or small bulges) in the blood vessels, restricted kidney blood vessels which can lead to kidney failure, eye blood vessels to burst or bleed which can lead to vision changes and blindness, and hardening of arteries, which can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or amputation of the legs. High blood pressure is a serious disease that effects many people, and kills over 20,000 people ever year (High blood pressure new 2004).

There are several factors that contribute to hypertension, though the exact cause is not known. Some of these conditions are obesity, little or no exercise, excessive salt in diet, consuming too much alcohol, stress, old age, hormone levels, abnormalities in nervous and circulatory systems and kidneys, and the salt and water content in the body. There are also certain groups of people that are more likely to contract hypertension, such as, a history of hypertension in family members, African Americans, pregnant women, women who take birth control pills, and people who smoke (High blood pressure isn’t 2003). Certain medical conditions can cause high blood pressure including, Polycystic kidney disease, Cushing’s disease, and Coarctation of the aorta. A few medications can also cause hypertension, such as, certain antidepressants, certain cold medicines, certain oral contraceptives, and Cocaine, amphetamines, Ritalin, Corticosteroids, hormones, migraine medications, cyclosporine, and Erythropoietin (Rosner 2001).

To prevent high blood pressure you can maintain a healthy weight, and being overweight causes you to be two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure. Being physically active daily can lower the risk of blood pressure 20-50%. Reducing the amount of salt prevents blood pressure from rising (Adopting 2002). Limiting alcohol intake to two drinks a day or less for men, and one drink a day or less for women can help prevent hypertension. Reducing stress can also help prevent high blood pressure. Taking dietary supplements can also decrease you chance of developing hypertension, such as, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fish oils, or omega-3 fatty acids (Hypertension 2003). Getting checked regularly for hypertension by your doctor will help decrease high blood pressure early, before it gets out of control.

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