HYPERTENSION

Heart pumps out blood with some pressure so that it can easily reach

extremes. During heart pump, blood has pressure that exerts over the wall of

the arteries called blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) means

that your blood is pumping at a higher pressure than normal through your

arteries

Hypertension now disproportionately impacts low and middle income

countries.Two thirds of those with hypertension are in economically developing

countries.Heart disease and stroke occur in younger people in economically

developing countries. Increased blood pressure was the cause of an estimated

9.4 million deaths and 162 million years of life lost in 2010 and the cause of (2-

8).50% of heart disease, stroke and heart failure.13% of deaths overall and over

40% of deaths in people with diabetes.Hypertension is a leading risk for fetal

and maternal death in pregnancy, dementia, and renal failure

Approximately 4 in 10 adults over age 25 have hypertension and in many

countries another 1 in 5 have prehypertension.An estimated 9/10 adults living

to 80 years of age will develop hypertension.One half of blood pressure related

disease occurs in people with higher levels of blood pressure even within the

normal range.

TYPES:

There are two types of hypertension based on their causes, they are:

Primary or essential hypertension – in almost 90 to 95 percent adult with high

blood pressure, there is no identifiable hypertension cause, which develops

gradually over several years.

o Causes

Stressful life

Blood volume increase or forceful heart beating

Salt sensitive individuals

Abnormality in the arteries

Secondary hypertension – in almost 5 to 10 percent individual with high blood

pressure, there is an identifiable underlying condition causing hypertension,

which develops suddenly. The various health conditions that cause

hypertension are kidney problems, adrenal gland tumors, and congenital blood

vessel defects.

o Causes:

Sleep apnea

Thyroid disorder

Chronic renal disease

Renal artery stenosis

CAUSES:

You get hypertension if

You are obese

You are often stressed or anxious

You drink too much alcohol (more than 1 drink per day for women and

more than 2 drinks per day for men)

You eat too much salt

You have a family history of high blood pressure

You have diabetes

You smoke

SYMPTOMS:

Nosebleed

Face or eye turns red

Vision problem

Increased heart rate

weakness

sleep (Insomnia)Sore back and/or kneeChest oppression,

palpitations

Shortness of breath

Irritated, and getting anger easily

MEASURING HYPERTENSION:

Its measured in millimeter per mercury.

It is measured with two parameters.

They are categorized as:

systolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart

beats to pump blood out. The normal systolic pressure is usually

between 110 and 130mmHg.

diastolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart

rests in between beats, which reflects how strongly your arteries

are resisting blood flow. The normal diastolic pressure is usually

between 70 and 80mmHg.

RISK FACTORS:

This hypertension can result in:

Kidney disease

Stroke

Heart attack

Heart failure

Recently, new guidelines released by the U.S. revised the normal range of blood

pressure to 150/90 for people above 60 years of age. Read more about the

guideline. 150/90 is the new ‘normal BP’ for people over 60

Here is the range of readings and the diagnosis based on them.

Category Systolic BP Diastolic BP

Normal < 120 And < 80

Pre-hypertension 120-139 Or 80-89

Hypertension, stage I 140-159 Or 90-99

Hypertension, stage II >160 Or > 100

TREATMENT:

Eat a heart healthy diet, including potassium and fiber.

Drink plenty of water.

Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.

If you smoke, quit.

Limit the amount of sodium (salt) you eat -- aim for less than 1,500 mg

per day.

Reduce stress. Try to avoid things that cause you stress, and try

meditation or yoga to de-stress.

Stay at a healthy body weight.

Lifestyle modifications:Lose weight

Avoid alcohol

Eat a low-sodium, low-fat diet

The researchers started off examining what the impact of consuming nitrates

might be on laboratory rats, and then confirmed their findings with 15

volunteer humans, all with hypertension.

The following foods are high in nitrates:

Beetroot

Fennel

Cabbage

Lettuce

Radishes

Carrots.

Stay healthy :)