Hypertension Patient Information

Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood against the arterial walls when the heart contracts. Blood pressure normally varies throughout the day depending on activity. Blood pressure that remains elevated, regardless of activity, is considered hypertension. According to the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, hypertension affects one in three adults.

Types

• There are three types of hypertension according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Essential hypertension has no known direct cause. Secondary hypertension is caused by some underlying condition such as kidney disease or tumors. Pregnancy related hypertension is, of course, directly related to pregnancy and is usually resolved after the pregnancy, though not always. About 95 percent of all hypertensive people have essential hypertension.

Symptoms

• Some symptoms include headache, nose-bleed, dizziness and blurry vision. Most do not have symptoms until serious organ damage has been done. This is why hypertension is known as the "Silent Killer".

Diagnosis

• Hypertension is usually diagnosed after several blood pressure readings by your health care provider. If the initial pressure is high, you may be asked to you may be asked to return later to have another one taken. Several readings are taken in order to rule out "white-coat" syndrome, which is increased anxiety related to being in a doctor's office. A persistent reading of greater than 130/80 is usually indicative of hypertension.

Treatment

• American Heart Association guidelines recommend treating hypertension with lifestyle changes and medication. Lifestyle changes include maintaining a healthy weight with daily exercise and a balanced diet that limits salt and alcohol intake. Recommended medications include diuretics (increases urine output), ACE inhibitors (relaxes blood vessels), mineral corticoid receptor antagonist (MRA blocks the reabsorption of sodium) and calcium channel blockers (relaxes blood vessels). The AHA also recommends treating any underlying causes.

Risk Factors

• The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute lists risks factors as being a female over 55 or a male over 45 years, being overweight, inactivity and a poor diet including too much salt and alcohol. Other risk factors include having a family history, pre-hypertension (120-139/80-89). African-Americans are at higher risk than other ethnic groups. Because of the increase in rates of obesity, more children are at risk.

Prevention

• Maintaining a healthy weight, following a healthy diet, daily exercise, stress reduction and quitting smoking can prevent or delay hypertension.

Complications

• Hypertension can lead to hardening of the arteries, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and death. In pregnancy it can lead to low-birth weight, prematurity and pre-eclampsia (life-threatening to the mother and baby).