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.
As early as the 1800s clinicians began to take a closer look at elevated blood pressure levels, they soon found high correlation between hypertension, stroke, and other heart diseases. They also established that high levels of blood pressure effected both privilege and underprivileged, and within the years they have noted the disease have become more prevalent in the African American culture. Long term studies, such as randomized controlled trial studies, unveiled
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
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).
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Obesity has been a health problem ever since infectious disease had began in the first half of the 20th Century. The person with obesity is not the only person who is affected by their disease. In the case of childhood obesity, It can affect the parents because they might be the cause of the child’s issues. It can also lead to many different health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems, and it can also even lead to death. Obesity has affected the world in many ways: task forces have been formed to address the issue, people are suffering from health problems due to obesity, and others suffer psychological and social issues.
The causes of hypertension are unknown. However; hypertension can be classified into two categories primary and secondary. Primary (essential) hypertension is increas...
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure about 25% of all adults have high blood pressure, normal blood pressure in an adult is measure is less than 120/80 the top number is known as systolic and the bottom diastolic any reading above this is known as hypertension. If the blood pressure is regularly high this can damage to the blood vessels kidney, heart and other parts of the body which can result in a stroke or heart attack, causes of high blood pressure may be more than one thing for example too much salt in a person’s diet, being overweight, not eating enough fruits and vegetables and other life factors like stress. It is known that doctors are not too sure of the causes but the lifestyle of a person can have an effect. As you get older you’re more at risk of getting high blood pressure (hypertension), but taking part in exercise can help reduce your changes and control your blood pressure if you have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Read in blood pressure “the American heart association estimates that a third of adults have a high blood pressure and that in America high blood pressure killed over 55,000 people in 2005 alone” (Davis,2013)
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...
The obesity in the US has drastically increased in the last few decades due to an increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods and reduced physical activity levels. Nearly 78 million adults and 13 million children in the United States are dealing with the health and the emotional effects of obesity every day. Because obesity has massive implications in regards to the health of our society, this issue is cited almost daily in the news, on radio and televisions, journals and magazines. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC) more than thirty percent of our adult population is diagnosed as obese, and there are several hundred of thousands of deaths each year that are associated with diseases caused by obesity as a primary contributing factor.
National Center for Health Statistics. (2000). Healthy people data 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/ data/data2010.htm
are about 1.5-2.0 greater in African Americans than the white population” (p.165). Hypertension is a multifactorial disease by which there are several aspects that causes hypertension. According to Ferdinand & Saunders (2006), "causal factors have been identified in African Americans as obesity, physical inactivity, excess alcohol intake, excess dietary sodium, and inadequate dietary intake of potassium, fruits, and vegetables" (p. 23). Other factors that will cause hypertension in African Americans include race, age, gender, stress, family history of hypertension, socioeconomic status, and lack of awareness about hypertension. There is no definite cause as of hypertension; however, African Americans have several contributors that will lead to hypertension. As a result, many of these factors may lead to vital health
Genetics plays a major role in obesity; inherited genes sometimes contribute to the accumulation of fat in the body. Over 200 genes have effect on the weight having repercussions from physical activity, food choices and metabolism. Therefore, genes may increase the vulnerability of a person to become obese. Family eating patterns and social tendencies can also trigger obesity. Moreover, environmental circumstances such as availability of food high in calories and fat and the increase of the portions and combination selections in meals contribute to the development of fat accumulated for years in the body (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 277).
The present public health problem has become a great public concern and the future of these children and future adults has also been brought to attention. For example, "as obese children are more than likely to become obese adults, they are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and several cancers" (Gollust, 2014). Research has also indicated that the current generation of children are on track to have shorter lives than their parents because of increasing rates of obesity (Gollust, 2014).
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.
Obesity occurs in all countries and it is one of the gravest problems in modern society. Obesity problems have become one matter of concern for individuals all around the world. What is more is that Obesity rates continue to rise all around the world. One of the chief causes is unhealthy diets. Obesity is also due to lack of exercise and lack of education and awareness. Therefore obesity has various effects including the risk of suffering from a range of health conditions, increased expenditure on health care and lack of self-esteem.
Access to Health: Kindle Edition Text Chapter 15: Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Text Chapter 16: Reducing Your Cancer Risk Presentation: Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Presentation: Minimizing Your Risk for Diabetes http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/109/25/3244.