Cardiovascular

What Is High Blood Pressure? What Causes High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted against the walls of the arteries as blood flows through them - if a person has high blood pressure it means that the walls of the arteries are receiving too much pressure repeatedly - the pressure needs to be chronically elevated for a diagnosis of hypertension to be confirmed. In medicine chronic means for a sustained period; persistent. In the USA approximately 72 million people have hypertension - about 1 in every 3 adults, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The National Health Service, UK, estimates that about 40% of British adults have the condition. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that about two-thirds of people over the age of 65 in the USA have high blood pressure. Interesting related article What is salt? How much salt should I eat? What is a heart attack? What causes a heart attack? What is heart failure? What causes heart failure? What is diabetes? What is cholesterol? What causes high cholesterol? What is a stroke? What causes a stroke? What is embolism? What are the different types of embolism? What is deep vein thrombosis (DVT)? What is fat? How much fat should I eat? The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body constantly - during every second of our lives. Blood that has low oxygen levels is pumped towards the lungs, where oxygen supplies are replenished. The oxygen rich blood is then pumped by the heart around the body to supply our muscles and cells. The pumping of blood creates pressure - blood pressure. When we measure blood pressure, we gauge two types of pressure: *Systolic pressure - the blood pressure when the heart contracts, specifically the moment of maximum force during the contraction. This happens when the left ventricle of the heart contracts. *Diastolic pressure - the blood pressure between heartbeats, when the heart is resting and dilating (opening up, expanding). When a person"s blood pressure is taken the doctor or nurse needs to measure both the systolic and diastolic pressures. The figures usually appear with a larger number first (systolic pressure), followed by a smaller number (diastolic pressure). The figure will be followed by the abbreviation "mmHg", which means millimeters of mercury. If you are told that your blood pressure is 120 over 80 (120/80 mmHg), it means a systolic pressure of 120mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80mmHg. The definition of high blood pressure (hypertension) Anyone whose blood pressure is 140/90mmhg or more for a sustained period is said to have high blood pressure, or hypertension. Blood pressure is usually divided into five categories: *Hypotension (low blood pressure) Systolic mmHg 90 or less, or Diastolic mmHg 60 or less Visit our specialized news sections Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) News Cardiovascular / Cardiology News Cholesterol News Statins News Heart Disease News Stroke News Obesity / Weight Loss News Vascular News Sleep / Sleep Disorder News Smoking / Quit Smoking News *Normal Systolic mmHg 90-119, and Diastolic mmHg 60-79 *Prehypertension Systolic mmHg 120-139, and Diastolic mmHg 80-89 *Stage 1 Hypertension Systolic mmHg 140-159, and Diastolic mmHg 90-99 *Stage 2 Hypertension Systolic mmHg over 160, and Diastolic mmHg over 100 What are the symptoms of high blood pressure (hypertension)? Most people with high blood pressure will not experience any symptoms until levels reach about 180/110 mmHg. When symptoms do appear, they typically include: *Headache - usually, this will last for several days. *Nausea - a sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit. *Vomiting - less common than just nausea. *Dizziness - Lightheadedness, unsteadiness, and vertigo. *Blurred or double vision (diplopia). *Epistaxis - nosebleeds. *Palpitations - disagreeable sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. *Dyspnea - breathlessness, shortness of breath. Anybody who experiences these symptoms should see their doctor immediately. Children with hypertension may have the following signs and symptoms: *Headache. *Fatigue. *Blurred vision. *Nosebleeds. *Bell"s palsy - inability to control facial muscles on one side of the face. Newborns and very young babies with hypertension may have the following signs and symptoms: *Failure to thrive. *Seizure. *Irritability. *Lethargy. *Respiratory distress. People who are diagnosed with high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked frequently. Even if yours is normal, you should have it checked at least once every five years, and more often if you have any contributory factors. What are the causes of high blood pressure? When referring to the causes of hypertension, it is divided into two categories: *Essential high blood pressure (primary high blood pressure) - no cause has been identified. *Secondary high blood pressure - the high blood pressure has an underlying cause, such as kidney disease, or a specific medication the patient is taking. Even though there is no identifiable cause for essential high blood pressure, there is strong evidence linking some risk factors to the likelihood of developing the condition. Most of the causes below are essential high blood pressure risk factors; there are also a couple of secondary high blood pressure examples: *Age - the older you are the higher the risk. *Family history - if you have close family members with hypertension, your chances of developing it are significantly higher. An international scientific study involving over 150 scientists from 93 centers in Europe and the USA identified eight common genetic differences which may increase the risk of high blood pressure. *Temperature - A study which monitored 8801 participants over the age of 65 in three French cities, found that systolic and diastolic blood pressure values differed significantly across the four seasons of the year and according to the distribution of outdoor temperature. Blood pressure was lower when it got warmer, and rose when it got colder. *Ethnic background - evidence in Europe and North America indicates that people with African and/or South Asian ancestry have a higher risk of developing hypertension, compared to people with predominantly Caucasian or Amerindian (indigenous of the Americas) ancestries. *Obesity/overweight - overweight refers to having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat and/or water. Obesity tends to refer just to having a high amount of extra body fat. Both overweight and obese people are more likely to develop high blood pressure, compared to people of normal weight. *Some aspects of gender - in general, high blood pressure is more common among adult men than adult women. However, after the age of 60 both men and women are equally susceptible. Women aged 18-59 are more likely to identify the signs and symptoms and subsequently to seek treatment for high blood pressure, compared to men. *Physical inactivity - lack of exercise, as well as having a sedentary lifestyle, raises the risk of hypertension. *Smoking - smoking causes the blood vessels to narrow, resulting in higher blood pressure. Smoking also reduces the blood"s oxygen content so the heart has to pump faster in order to compensate, causing a rise in blood pressure. *Alcohol intake - the risk may even sometimes include people who drink regularly, but not in excess. People who drink regularly have higher systolic blood pressure than people who do not, say researchers from the University of Bristol, UK. They found that systolic blood pressure levels are about 7 mmHg higher in frequent drinkers than in people who do not drink. *High salt intake - researchers from the University of Michigan Health System reported that societies where people don"t eat much salt have lower blood pressures than places where people eat a lot of salt. *High fat diet - many health professionals say that a diet high in fat leads to a raised high blood pressure risk. However, most dietitians stress that the problem is not how much fat is consumed, but rather what type of fats. Fats d from plants, such as avocados, nuts, olive oil, etc., as well as omega oils which are common in some types of fish, are good for you - while, saturated fats which are common in animal d foods, as well as trans fats are bad for you. *Mental stress - various studies have compelling evidence that mental stress, especially over the long term, can have a serious impact on blood pressure. An interesting study carried out by researchers at the University of Texas, suggested that how air traffic controllers handle stress can affect whether they are at risk of developing high blood pressure later in life. In view of this study, and many others that focus on stress management, it would be fair to assume that some levels of stress which are not managed properly can raise the risk of hypertension. *Diabetes - people with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing hypertension. Among patients with diabetes type 1, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is a risk factor for incident hypertension in type 1 diabetes - intensive insulin therapy reduces the long-term risk of developing hypertension. People with diabetes type 2 are at risk of hypertension due to hyperglycemia, as well as other factors, such as overweight/obesity, certain medications, and some cardiovascular diseases. *Psoriasis - An American study that followed 78,000 women for 14 years found that having psoriasis was linked to a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes. Psoriasis is an immune system condition that appears on the skin in the form of thick, red scaly patches. *Low birth weight - the link between low birth weight and hypertension becomes stronger as individuals get older - especially among white males, as opposed to female and males and female of Afro-Americans, scientists at the Tulane Center for

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