Hypertension (HTN) is a chronic disease determined by high levels of blood pressure in the arteries, thus the heart must exert more effort than normal order to circulate blood through the blood vessels. In Canada, approximately 6 million people over 20 years or more have been diagnosed with HTN being this disease the most common cardiovascular disease and is a major risk factor for the most common cardiovascular diseases: such as stroke and myocardial infarction, which are responsible for about 29% of deaths in Canada in 2011 (Statistics Canada, 2011)
Are considered risk factors for the development of HTN: Age (the age of greatest risk being the 40 years or older), gender and ethnicity (the prevalence is higher among men, in relation to ethnicity, is more prevalent in not caucasians individuals), overweight and obesity, excessive intake of sodium, alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle, socioeconomic factors and genetics.
Controllable Disease Risk Factors
Obesity and overweight increase considerably the risk of HTN, in addition to providing excess fat in the blood, diabetes and heart disease. Who has HTN, to gain weight, will have a higher pressure and, by losing weight, this pressure this will drop. Weight loss in overweight or obese people will reduces the risk of heart disease, because it provides a reduction in LDL cholesterol that is deposited in the arteries. In addition, the loss of weight still increases the HDL cholesterol, which removes cholesterol from the blood, thus avoiding its buildup in the arteries.
Most of my family (my parents, aunts and uncles) are obese, which increases the risk of becoming obese in the future. However, it is necessary to take into consideration that obesity is a factor that can be controll...
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• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (2002, November). Primary Prevention of Hypertension: Clinical and Public Health Advisor. National High Blood Pressure Education Program, 02. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/hbp/pphbp.pdf
• Canada: Canada's national statistical agency. (2013, February 11). Statistics Canada. High blood pressure, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2012001/article/11663-eng.htm
• Department of Health & Human Services. (2011, February 1). Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hd/atrisk.html
• Reckelhoff, J. F. (2001). Gender Differences in the Regulation of Blood Pressure. Hypertension, 37(5), 1199-1208.
Remembering that prevention is the best cure, we are going to discuss what is high blood pressure, how to easily measure it, and how to effectively prevent it. (Thesis)
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has deemed hypertension or high blood pressure a global public health issue (World Health Organization, 2013). Not only does hypertension affect over 1 billion people worldwide but in the Unites States alone, about 76.4 million Americans over the age of 20, equating to about 1 in 3 adults, have hypertension (AHA, 2012). This growing health condition occurs when an individual’s blood pressure when the heart beats (systolic) is higher than 140 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) and their blood pressure when the heart relaxes (diastolic) is 90 mm Hg or higher (AHA, 2012). The higher the blood pressure means more force is used to pump blood from the heart to arteries, which causes several health problems (AHA, 2012). For instance, the increased force stretches out blood vessels which may lead to tears and ruptures (AHA, 2012). This can also form blood clots that can stop blood from reaching other parts of the body which can cause other organs, specifically the heart, to become overworked (AHA, 2012). Unfortunately, hypertension is also known as a “silent killer” as it does not cause any symptoms (World Health Organization, 2013). If left untreated, hypertension can lead to cardiovascular disease and other fatal health consequences, such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure (World Health Organization, 2013). In fact, the WHO estimates that hypertension accounts for 9.4 million deaths each year (World Health Organization, 2013).
impact of high blood pressure by; reducing dietary salt, making fresh fruit and vegetables more affordable and accessible, implementing weight loss and exercise programs and utilizing blood pressure lowering medications. "The current focus of many health systems is on treating hypertension directly, and while treatments are effective in reducing morbidity and mortality, they are also very costly. Focusing efforts on primary prevention or treatment may have a significant impact on costs in the long term,” says McBrien. (McBrien
NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) (2011) CG127 Hypertension: Quick Reference Guide. London: National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body. Hypertension is another term used to describe high blood pressure. This common condition increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death for Americans. High blood pressure contributed to more than 362,895 deaths in the United States during 2010. Approximately 67 million persons in the United States have high blood pressure, and only half of those have their condition under control. An estimated 46,000 deaths could be avoided annually if 70% of patients with high blood pressure were treated according to published guidelines (Patel, Datu, Roman, Barton, Ritchey, Wall, Loustalot; 2014).
Study overview: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the impact of a nutritional intervention on blood pressure in adults with mild hypertension. The intervention will run for 12 weeks, and blood pressure will be measured at baseline and at the end of the 12 week period. Participants (n=30) will be otherwise healthy adults living near the Nutrition Research laboratory at Massey University.
Hypertension is a developing problem worldwide,associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In 2020, the world population will be approximately 7.8 billion people, and there will be 1 billon people who may be affected by hypertension (Tomson & Lip, 2005). One in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure. According to the report “Health, United States, 2010 with Special Feature on Death and Dying,” the prevalence of hypertension among adults 20 years old or older increased from 24% to 32% during 1988-1994 and 2005-2008. The African-American population has a higher prevalence of this health condition than white Americans do. In 2005 to 2008, the prevalence of hypertension among black males (41.4%) was more than 10%, compared to white males at 31.5% of the population. The hypertension rate of black females was more than twice that of white females. The death rate from hypertension among black males was 51.8 per 100,000, and among black females was 40.4 per 100,000; however, the morta...
Whether it is Lipitor being used to lower cholesterol or aspirin to lower blood pressure, until the present, cardiovascular and heart diseases have been tackled by a variety of medications that address its various risk factors. However, this strategy focuses on secondary and tertiary prevention instead of heart diseases’ underlying causes. Yes, diabetes mellitus and hypertension have a concrete proven link to heart disease, but addressing them with medication only masks them and does not address the root of the problem.
Since 1960 the age-adjusted mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has declined steadily in the U.S. due to multiple factors, but still remains one of the primary causes of morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Greater control of risk factors and improved treatments for cardiovascular disease has significantly contributed to this decline (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). In the U.S. alone it claims approximately 830,000 each year and accounts for 1/6 of all deaths under the age of 65 (Weiss and Lonnquist, 2011). Based on the 2007 mortality rate data an average of 1 death every 37 seconds is due to cardiovascular disease (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2009). Controlling and reducing risk factors is crucial for saving lives. There are a number of contributing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which may appear in the form of hereditary, behavioral, and psychological, all of which ultimately converge in social or cultural factors.
Hypertension affects approximately 73 million Americans. It is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure is elevated. Hypertension, also called high blood pressure is often seen concurrent with diabetes mellitus. Many refer to hypertension as the “silent killer” because often time’s individuals are Asymptomatic. Ideally, blood pressure is expected to be less than 120mmHg systolic and 80mmHg diastolic. Hypertension is defined as sustained blood pressure of the arteries greater than or equal to 140/90mmHg. . Twenty nine percent of Mexican American men and thirty one percent of Mexican American women are living with hypertension. Mexican American hypertension levels are compatible to non-Hispanic whites; however, they are less likely to have their blood pressure treated or controlled compared to whites and African Americans. Hypertension increases the work load of the heart leading to other chronic disease processes, most commonly myocardial infarction often referred to as a heart attack. La...
Cardiovascular disease is currently the nation’s leading non-communicable cause of morbidity and mortality. According to the American Heart Association, the most common form of cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease, a condition in which the heart’s blood supply is reduced due to a narrowing of the coronary arteries. These arteries play a significant role in regulating the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. As blood circulates through the arteries, it exerts a force against the vessel walls, known as blood pressure. To withstand this pressure, elastic fibers interspersed along the artery walls allow the arteries to expand and recoil. Abnormally high blood pressure, however, will cause these muscles to thicken as a result of tears in the damaged artery walls trapping particles that aggregate as plaque. Progressive build-up of plaque ultimately leads to a narrowing of the arteries, subsequently diminishing blood flow to the heart and other body organs. This cascade of events triggered by high blood pressure illustrates why hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Affecting 1 in every 3 adults in the United States alone, hypertension substantially raises the risk for heart disease in an affected individual who, most likely, does not show any signs or symptoms. In addition to the risks associated with this “silent killer,” comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol can drastically worsen health outcomes in hypertensive patients. Given the high prevalence and severe consequences of hypertension if undetected, researching this particular topic will increase our understanding of the causes of hypertension by identifying and narrowing down lead candidates for pot...
WILLIAMS, P and POULTER NR et al (2004) Guidelines for management of hypertension: report of the fourth working party of the British Hypertension Society. British Hypertension Society, pp. 139-85
The causes of hypertension are unknown. However; hypertension can be classified into two categories primary and secondary. Primary (essential) hypertension is increas...
High Blood Pressure is anything that alters in peripheral vascular resistance, heart rate, or stroke volume that affects systematic arterial blood pressure. Long term effect of high blood pressure are serious and can cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and retinal damage. Hypertension is another medical word that substitutes the meaning of high blood pressure. It is known as the “silent killer” because it does not create any symptoms. The most common reason for high blood pressure is arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries, occurring in old age. Four control systems have a job in maintaining blood pressure. These are the arterial baroreceptor and chemoreceptors’ system, regulation of body fluid volume, the renin- angiotensin system, and vascular autoregulation. Primary hypertension mostly occurs from a defect or malfunction in some or all of these
Schnall, P., Landsbergis, P., Belkic, K., Warren, K., Schwartz, J., & Pickering, T. (1998). Findings In The Cornell University Ambulatory Blood Pressure Worksite Study: A Review. Psychosomatic Medicine, 60, 697.