Overview of High Blood Pressure

There are more than 50 million diagnosed cases of high blood pressure or hypertension in the United States. Few medical conditions have such a systemic effect effect on the body. Left untreated, hypertension leads to congestive heart failure, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. Recent studies have shown that even moderate hypertension increases the chances of suffering from dementia in old age.

Hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer as most people with high blood pressure don’t even know they suffer from it. The effects of uncontrolled hypertension are serious and can be life threatening. Some major effects include hardening of the arteries, eye damage, strokes or hardening of the heart muscle itself. It is very important to be screened often by your healthcare provider as there are many medications, lifestyle changes and herbal alternatives available to prevent further damage.

The therapeutic goal of hypertension therapy is to lower blood pressure for the general population to 140/85 or lower, but definitely even lower for blacks, diabetics and people with chronic kidney disease. For people with borderline hypertension, diet and exercise may be enough to reduce their blood pressure. In more severe cases, drug therapy is often prescribed. There are several classes of drugs available on the market today, including beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, peripheral vasodialators and even diuretics. One important tool in fighting hypertension is weight control. Carrying extra pounds puts more strain on the heart.

As people age, often their blood pressure increases, not due to aging but due to other factors mentioned before such as insufficient physical activity. For hypertension, as with most health issues, medication alone is seldom the best solution.

Living a healthy, active lifestyle is the best medicine and can produce fantastic results if used in conjunction with herbal supplements or other alternative treatments. Put together a plan with your doctor or health care provider and put it into action. The dangers of hypertension are too great to ignore and even some small changes before it becomes a problem could circumvent the need for medication.

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