Criteria for Hypertension

Hypertension, the medical name for high blood pressure, is often called a silent killer because it usually produces no symptoms and when left uncontrolled can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. High blood pressure is common, affecting about one in three American adults, according to the American Heart Association. Because most people experience no symptoms, the only way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked regularly by a health-care professional.

Hypertension Definition

• Blood pressure readings are represented with two numbers. The first, or higher, number is called systolic pressure. The bottom, or lower, number is the diastolic pressure. A normal blood pressure is a reading of 120/80 or lower. The criteria for hypertension is a reading greater than 140/90. Prehypertension is defined as a systolic reading between 120 and 139 and a diastolic reading between 80 and 89.

Diagnosis

• A person is not typically diagnosed with hypertension until multiple blood pressure readings taken over a period of time all come back elevated. If a patient does have an elevated blood pressure at a doctor's visit, the doctor will usually take note of it and monitor it closely. Because family history can contribute to hypertension it may be more closely monitored in people who have a family history of high blood pressure. Other risk factors for hypertension include obesity, smoking, drug or alcohol abuse, stress, certain medications and some medical conditions, such as diabetes.

Taking Blood Pressure

• Taking a person's blood pressure is a simple and painless procedure that takes just a minute or two to do. The device used to take a person's blood pressure is called a sphygmomanometer and consists of a cuff attached to a pressure gauge and a bulb attached to rubber tubing. First, the cuff is placed around the upper arm and a doctor or health-care professional will place a stethoscope on the brachial artery in the elbow. Next, the cuff will be inflated by pumping the bulb. Once inflated to the point that the brachial artery collapses, air will slowly be released. The health care professional will then listen for the sound of blood beginning to flow through the artery, which represents the systolic pressure. The diastolic pressure is represented by the reading on the pressure gauge at the point between two successive heartbeats.

Treatment

• In most cases, doctors will prescribe a medication to treat people with hypertension. Several different types of medication are available, including alpha blockers, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, vasodilators, renin inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Each of these medications works differently and some will work better in some patients than others. However, all the medications have proven effective at lowering blood pressure.

Home Treatment

• In addition to prescribing medication, most doctors will also ask patients with hypertension to make some changes at home that can help bring blood pressure into a healthy range. First, patients should get plenty of exercise and lose weight if they are overweight. It's also important to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet, cutting back on saturated fats and excess salt, which can contribute to hypertension. People who smoke should also quit to lower their risk of hypertension and other serious medical conditions.