Hypertension Risk Management

Modern medical advancements have significantly decreased the prevalence and severity of infectious disease as well as the treatment of acute, traumatic conditions. Pharmacological research has also gained insight into the management of chronic disease. Still, there is an epidemic of chronic, treatable diseases like stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. Hypertension proves to be the underlying factor associated with these diseases. Hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer because of its indication in deadly disease, and the importance of monitoring ones blood pressure is vital. Lifestyle, diet, and genetic predisposition are all factors of high blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure above safe levels, known as hypertension, puts elevated physical stress on the renal and cardiovascular systems. By controlling this factor in patients, healthcare providers can decrease cardiovascular events, improve health outcomes, and decrease overall mortality. Patient education is often overlooked in its role in the control and prevention of high blood pressure. This paper analyzes the causes and physiology behind high blood pressure as they relate to the current nursing interventions. The role of nurses is discussed in relation to patient education regarding high blood pressure, and educational approaches are analyzed.

The major health problem selected for this project was hypertension (Harrison et al, 2011). It is identified as a cardio vascular disease risk factor such as dementia, chronic kidney disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke (NICE, 2011). It can be missed easily, as in various instances it is asymptomatic as well as it is also known as a silent killer. The Hypertension is thought to be a disease of vascular regulation ensuing from arterial pressure control mechanisms malfunction (extracellular fluid volume, rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and CNS) that results in elevation of BP by means of enhanced peripheral vascular resistance, and cardiac output. There are 2 basic hypertension types. Around 90 to 95 percent of the individuals have primary hypertension which is linked with change in lifestyle as well as needs medical treatment. On the other hand, 5-10% has secondary hypertension which is linked with various other diseases for instance pregnancy, thyroid, and renal (Haslam and James, 2005). It is estimated that around 1 in 20 adults will have increased BP of 160/100 mmHg and above that results in either more than one predisposing aspects (Gemmell et al, 2006).

Hypertension is a very common problem, affecting 1 billion people worldwide, with 50 million cases in the United States, and one third of cases going undiagnosed. 1% of the cases will experience a hypertensive emergency in their life. (1,2)

Incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality reports are crucial when planning a hypertension prevention program in a target community. Incidence and prevalence allow for a better understanding of exactly what diseases are present and if those numbers are growing or declining at a specific time (Grossman & Porth, 2014). Morbidity and mortality “statistics are useful in terms of anticipating health care needs, planning of public education programs, directing health research efforts, and allocating health care dollars” (Grossman & Porth, 2014, p. 8). Before planning a comprehensive prevention program it would be pertinent to have an idea of the amount of individuals suffering from hypertension, the frequency of newly diagnosed individuals, the effects of the disease process on the individual, and statistics related to survival and/or

Hypertension is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke. Your physician may advise dietary or lifestyle changes, or specific medications to lower your blood pressure.

According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three adults have high blood pressure as of 2013. High blood pressure is directly linked to heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure with at least sixty-nine percent of individuals that have had one of the previous listed diseases as also having high blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension is a significant diagnosis in the Unites States and if left untreated can lead to serious medical emergency and possibly death (Go A.S., 2013). It is critical, as nurses, to be aware of the drugs available to treat hypertension as well as their role in drug therapy to provide safe medication administration to our patients.

It is imperative to find ways for patients to manage hypertension which prescribed medication therapies and lifestyle changes to limit negative outcomes.

There are a couple health patterns that can be used to help control hypertension, but the functional health pattern that will be addressed throughout the rest of the paper to help with the prevention of hypertension is the Activity-Exercise

chronic hypertension and ischemic heart disease which are correlated with aging physiology and environmental factors. Patient’s inactive life style and obesity is also responsible for these diseases.

High blood pressure, or ‘hypertension’ if given its correct medical name, is the name given to a condition in which the pressure and rate of blood flow through the body is too high. This can be dangerous to the regulation of blood flow and for the correct function of the vital organs around the body. As high blood pressure usually originates within the blood vessels of the heart (where the build-up of plaque or atheroma causes a

Patient education programme designed to improve self-care in hypertension management (nurse-led education session plus patient information booklet)

Lifestyle risk factors that can contribute to the onset of hypertension can include obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, high levels of stress, high sodium intake, and excessive alcohol consumption.3 With an increase in fast food restaurants in the United States, more individuals are becoming obese- a major contribution to hypertension. Research conducted at the Oregon Research Institute found that cities that contained more fast food restaurants had a higher prevalence of individuals with hypertension.6 Physical activity is an important aspect of life and is an important preventative measure for the onset of hypertension. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of physical exercise to improve cardiovascular health.7 However, Americans today are developing increased sedentary lifestyles. This increase in physical inactivity is a major risk factor for hypertension.

Indubitably, in the modern world, people are faced with far lesser health problems than their not so distant ancestors. Thankfully to the rapid growth and development of the medical industry and the scientific progress, doctors these days have a particular capacity not only to cure diseases but to prevent them as well. Nevertheless, the health situation in the world is not so bright as it may seem due to the first impression. There is a number of woefully constant and permanent health problems, precisely hereditary, which are tormenting people until now. Amidst them is the issues of high blood pressure or hypertension, which has been widespread specifically in Australia.

Approximately one in every three adult’s ages 20 years old and older are diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension. Hypertension affects 78 million people in the United States and is equally prevalent in both men and woman (Crabtree et al., 2013). Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (Hajjar & Kotchen, 2003). It can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure, heart failure, neurological issues, and death if not detected early and not treated properly (James, Oparil, Carter, & et al., 2014). Approximately 9.4 million deaths in 2010 were attributed to high blood pressure (Angell, De Cock, & Frieden, 2015). About 54% of strokes, 47% of coronary heart disease, and 25 % of other cardiovascular diseases are attributed to high blood pressure (Arima, Barzi, & Chalmers, 2011).

The two major types of hypertension are primary and secondary. Primary hypertension accounts for more than 90% of all cases and has no known cause, although it is hypothesized that genetic factors, hormonal changes, and the altercations in sympathetic tone all may play a role in its development. Secondary hypertension develops as a consequence of an underlying disease or condition. The prevention and treatment of hypertension is a major public health issue. When blood pressure is controlled, cardiovascular, renal disease, and stroke may be prevented. The JCN, reported more than 122 million individuals in American are overweight or obese, consume large amounts of dietary sodium and alcohol, and do not eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables; less than 20% exercise regularly. Both modifiable and non-modifiable factors play a role in the development of hypertension