| Special
High Blood Pressure/Hypertension Fact File
2161/ Hypotension is the medical
term for low blood pressure (below 90/60). Low blood pressure
that does not cause symptoms is generally considered to be
a sign of good cardiovascular health because there is less
stress on the heart and blood vessels. However, there are
a number of forms of hypotension that require diagnosis and
treatment (e.g., orthostatic hypotension and neurogenic orthostatic
hypotension). People may seek treatment for hypotension if
they experience symptoms such as dizziness or syncope (fainting)
from lack of oxygen to the brain. It may be due to medications
(e.g., blood pressure medications) or other causes, and changing
medications or other treatments may be necessary.
2162/ Hypertension is a major
health problem in the United States, where more than 50 million
people over age six (and 1 in 4 adults) have the condition,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
2163/ Two-thirds of people over
65 in the US suffer from hypertension.
2164/ Less active, less fit people
have a 30-50% greater risk for developing high blood pressure
2165/ In general, the older you
get, the greater your chance of developing high blood pressure.
It occurs most often in people over age 35. Men seem to develop
it most often between age 35 and 55. Women are more likely
to develop it after menopause.
2166/ Of all people with high
blood pressure, 14.8 percent aren't on therapy (special diet
or drugs), 26.2 percent are on inadequate therapy, and 27.4
percent are on adequate therapy.
2167/ The cause of 90–95
percent of the cases of high blood pressure isn't known; however,
high blood pressure is easily detected and usually controllable.
Where the cause is unknown this is called 'primary' or 'essential
hypertension'. In the remaining minority of cases, there is
an underlying cause. This is called 'secondary hypertension'.
2168/ Some of the main causes
for secondary hypertension are: chronic kidney diseases, diseases
in the arteries supplying the kidneys, chronic alcohol abuse,
hormonal disturbances and endocrine tumours
2169/ High blood pressure affects
more than one out of every three African Americans.
2170/ The American Heart Association
estimated that High blood pressure (hypertension) killed 44,619
Americans in 2000 and contributed to the deaths of about 118,000.
2171/ Those who do not have hypertension
at age 55 have a 90 percent risk of going on to develop the
condition.
2172/ Studies show that the risk
of death from heart disease and stroke begins to rise at blood
pressures as low as 115 over 75, and that it doubles for each
20 over 10 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) increase.
2173/ According to a national
US survey, 70 percent of Americans are aware of their high
blood pressure, 59 percent are being treated for it, and 34
percent of those with hypertension have it under control.
Those percentages represent a slight improvement over rates
for 10 years ago, when 68 percent of Americans were aware
of their high blood pressure, 54 percent were being treated
for it, and 27 percent of those with hypertension had it under
control. By contrast, about 25 years ago, 51 percent were
aware of their high blood pressure, 31 percent were being
treated, and 10 percent of those with hypertension had it
under control.
2174/ Losing weight is a great
way of lowering your blood pressure. One pound of weight equals
approximately 3,500 calories. So, to lose 1 pound a week you
need to eat 500 calories a day less or burn 500 calories a
day more than you usually do.
2175/ Some over-the-counter drugs,
such as arthritis and pain drugs, and dietary supplements,
such as ephedra, ma haung and bitter orange, can raise your
blood pressure. Be sure to tell your Doctor about any non-prescription
drugs that you are taking and ask whather they may make it
harder for you to bring your blood pressure under control.
2176/ If your blood pressure
is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, then you have prehypertension.
This means that you don't have high blood pressure but are
likely to develop it in the future unless you change your
lifestyle.
2177/ The animal with the highest
normal blood pressure is the giraffe. However the animal with
the highest peak blood pressure is the flea, whose blood reaches
a pressure of 10 atmospheres just before take off for a big
jump.
2178/ Some patients have lower
thresholds for the diagnosis of hypertension, in particular
diabetic patients, for whom any persisting pressure above
130/80 causes problems.
2179/ At least 58,800,000 million
Americans (i.e. 1 person in 4) suffer from some form of heart
disease.
50 million suffer from high blood
pressure
12 million suffer from coronary heart disease
6.2 million suffer from angina pectoris
7 million suffer from heart attack
4.4 million suffer from stroke
1.8 million suffer from rheumatic heart disease / rheumatic
fever
1 million suffer from congenital cardiovascular defects
4.6 million suffer from congestive heart failure
2180/ It is a myth that heart
disease is a man's disease. In fact, cardiovascular diseases
are the number one killer of women (and men). These diseases
currently claim the lives of more than a half a million females
every year - more than the next 16 causes of death put together.
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