| The Phrase High Blood Pressure conjures up a | | | | of mercury). This reading is referred to as "120 |
| variety of things to all people.In medical terms, | | | | over 80." If the blood pressure readings were |
| hypertension refers to high blood pressure, | | | | greater than a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg |
| regardless of the cause. Because of the silent and | | | | and a diastolic pressure off greater than 90 mm |
| insidious way it works in the background i.e. no | | | | Hg than to suffer was deemed to be suffering |
| symptoms it is referred to as the Silent Killer. If | | | | from high blood pressure. However, the higher the |
| left uncontrolled or untreated then High Blood | | | | blood pressure, the greater the risks-even within |
| Pressure can cause a variety of illnesses all of | | | | the normal blood pressure range-so these limits |
| which could kill if left to their own devices. It has | | | | are somewhat arbitrary.The limits were |
| been estimated that in the USA there are | | | | established because people with blood pressure |
| potentially 50 million sufferers of Hypertension / | | | | above these levels are at increasing risk of |
| High Blood Pressure. It would appear in certain | | | | complications. In most people with high blood |
| cases but there are greater percentage of | | | | pressure, both systolic and diastolic pressures are |
| sufferers of high blood pressure amongst the | | | | high. The one major exception to this widely |
| black community as opposed to those in the | | | | accepted approach towards blood pressure is |
| white or Hispanic community in the USA. For | | | | when it is arising through increased age whereby |
| blacks it would also appear the adverse | | | | it is not uncommon to see a raised systolic |
| consequences of high blood pressure were worse. | | | | pressure alongside a normal diastolic figure. The |
| There is no doubt about that at high blood | | | | term for this condition is "isolated systolic |
| pressure does increase as we age with the figure | | | | hypertension". At the upper end of the spectrum |
| is called 75% of women and 66% of men over | | | | where the blood pressure is over 180/110 and |
| the age of 75 being treated for high blood | | | | remains so with a lack of associated symptoms |
| pressure. For those suffering with clinical obesity | | | | then this condition is deemed to be known as "a |
| the incidences of high blood pressure rise by | | | | hypertensive urgency." There has been an |
| 200%. In the United States, only an estimated | | | | additional condition recognized as malignant |
| two of three people with high blood pressure | | | | hypertension and this occurs when blood pressure |
| have been diagnosed.Of these people, about 75% | | | | readings are in excess of 210/120 mm Hg. This |
| receive drug treatment, and of these, about 45% | | | | has only been found to occur in about one half of |
| receive adequate treatment. Two terms are used | | | | one percent of all sufferers. However, it is several |
| when calculating high blood pressure, the systolic | | | | times more common among blacks than among |
| which is the first and greater of the two figures | | | | whites, among men than among women, and |
| and refers to the highest pressure of the | | | | among people in lower socioeconomic groups than |
| Arteries. The diastolic figure is the second figure | | | | among those in higher socioeconomic groups. This |
| calculated and represents the pressure in the hall | | | | type of hypertension is unlike hypertensive |
| product to the process of contraction again. Blood | | | | urgency in that it produces a variety of severe |
| pressure is written as systolic pressure/diastolic | | | | symptoms. If untreated, malignant hypertension |
| pressure-for example, 120/80 mm Hg (millimetres | | | | usually leads to death in 3 to 6 months. |