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