Hypertension : High Blood Pressure

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, has become a major risk factor for several types of heart disease across the globe. In the United States alone, nearly 70 million adults have been diagnosed with this condition [1]. Hypertension is a condition in which arterial walls experience extreme force from blood flowing through; long-term force against artery walls will lead to more serious health problems such as stroke, renal failure, and other cardiovascular diseases [2]. If the proper steps to treat hypertension are not taken, patients have a high risk of developing atherosclerosis, a condition that causes arteries to harden significantly. Smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, high alcohol consumption, and high sodium intake are factors that may cause an individual to be diagnosed with hypertension [3] Detection of hypertension is crucial in order to reduce the incidence of death by cardiovascular disease [1].

As the blood is forced throughout our body, there is a pressure that is exerted on the walls of our arteries, this is known as blood pressure. We see blood pressure represented as two numbers, the systolic (top) and the diastolic (bottom) numbers. The systolic blood pressure is the heart contracting and the diastolic is the heart relaxing. A normal, healthy, blood pressure would be written as 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) or verbally expressed by most individuals as 120 over 80. Our blood pressure can vary depending on many things. When the diastolic or systolic pressure is high, or significantly and consistently above 120/80 mmHg, this is what we call hypertension. There are different stages or degrees of hypertension. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins (2010) describes the stages as the following:

Hypertension, defined as blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 mmHg taken on three different occasions, is one of the chronic diseases that poses major health problems to countless Americans and a major issue to almost every racial group living in the United States of America. In the simplest of words, hypertension forces the heart to pump blood harder throughout the body through blood arteries and veins. Such pumping can result in problems with the proper functioning of the heart. Hypertension does not only affect the heart. Many organs throughout the human body can get damaged due to the high pressured blood pumping towards them by the heart. Hypertension can cause the kidneys to dysfunction and also result in aneurysm. Apart from heart problems such as strokes and heart attacks, hypertension can result in the speedy aging of the human brain at a young age, which eventually results in neurotic problems as age increases.

Your heart beat can affect the blood pressure if the ventricle is contracting it is high if it is dilating it is low. Blood pressure is measured I two measurements. • Systolic pressure is when the pressure is at its highest, the pressure of the heart between heart contractions. • Diastolic pressure is when the pressure is at its lowest, when your heart is resting before it pumps again.

The heart pumps blood into the arteries and the force of the blood pushing against blood vessel walls is called blood pressure. Arteries carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure is also know as hypertension and is very dangerous in many different ways. One way is that it makes the heart have to work harder in order to pump the blood to the body. Secondly it contributes to hardening of the arteries and lastly, it also contributes to heart failure. A healthy heart is essential to life and having high blood pressure it not healthy for the heart. It has been proven that there are many different causes that have been linked to high blood pressure.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hypertension as an abnormally high arterial blood pressure that is indicated by an adult systolic blood pressure of 140mm Hg or greater or a diastolic blood pressure of 90mm Hg or greater. The cause is unknown but may be attributable to a preexisting condition that result in thickening and inelasticity of the arterial walls of the left ventricle and risk factors for various pathological conditions. It is often called the silent killer, because sometimes there are no symptoms, it is serious condition that lasts a lifetime. Hypertension can be controlled or prevented when the right actions are taken and develop a healthy lifestyle. Hypertension can lead to heart disease, heart failure,

The pressure created in the arteries by the contraction of the left ventricle is the systolic blood pressure. After the left ventricle contracts, it begins to relax, then refills with blood from the left atria, meanwhile the pressure in the arteries falls, this is the diastolic blood pressure. In other words, during systole, cardiac muscle tissue is contracting to push blood out of the chamber; during diastole, the cardiac muscle cells relax to allow the chamber to fill with blood; systolic blood pressure is the higher number and diastolic blood pressure is the lower number.

Blood pressure readings are noted in two separate areas, the systolic and diastole. The systole (top number) is the pressure within the arteries when the heart is contracting and pushing the blood forward. When a blood pressure is above the normal range this is notation that the heart is having to work harder to pump the blood properly within the system. The diastole (bottom number) is the pressure within the arteries when the heart is relaxed. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80, 139/89 is pre hypertensive and 140/90 and higher is labeled as hypertensive. Elevated blood pressures can be divided into two separate categories, this is primary and secondary hypertension (HTN) (Egan & Zhao, 2013).

Blood pressure is expressed in millimeters of mercury, the first reading is Systolic pressure, and is always the higher of the readings.

Hypertension 101 is another article in a series on high blood pressure. For a complete list of hypertension symptoms, see the article 'High Blood Pressure Symptoms.' A hypertension treatment is also covered in other articles in this series.

High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs when the heart works harder to push the blood through the arteries. The harder a person’s heart works to push the blood through the arteries, the higher the blood pressure would be. Because there isn’t enough oxygen circulating, the body tries to compensate by producing more red blood cells, this particular form of compensation causes the blood to become thicker making it even harder for the heart to pump.

Alcohol has a meaningful outcome on high blood pressure, so it is important people pay more attention on the relation of alcohol and blood pressure and its outcome on the health.

Blood pressure is defined as “the force per unit area exerted on a vessel wall by the contained blood” (Marieb, 2013, p. 701). A “normal” blood pressure is read as 120/80 mm Hg, however, blood pressure fluctuates.

High blood pressure (hypertension ) is defined as high pressure (tension ) in the arteries , which are the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body . High blood pressure is considered one of the highest causes of morbidity , one of the main leading causes of cardiovascular disease , and social global burden health risk factor . In addition to the high-cost burden to the global health service providers . About 70 million American adults have high blood pressure . Only about half of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control . Nearly 1 of 3 American adults has prehypertension , blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal , but not yet in the high blood pressure range . High blood pressure

Dissemination of information plays a pivotal role in health promotion, thus preventing diseases, such as high blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension is a major risk factor for coronary artery ischemia and stroke. Approximately more than 2 million Americans every year are being affected by the heart attacks and strokes, causing a debilitating outcome (Be in a Million Hearts,” n.d.). With this being said, prevention and treatment of hypertension are a challenge encountered by all medical professionals. One methodology that is generally used in conveying information to the public is through the printed education health material (brochure).