Who is at risk for Hypertension?

"Hypertension - commonly known as high blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries. If you have high blood pressure, the force of blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high. The heart has to work harder to pump blood."

"According to the CDC early half of adults in the US have high blood pressure, and only one in four of these people have their blood pressure under control. Many people develop high blood pressure when they are in their late 30's or early 40's, and it occurs more frequently as people age. However, because of the obesity epidemic, more and more children are also developing high blood pressure."

"If untreated, high blood pressure raises the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and other serious health problems, including kidney and eye problems, dementia, and metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increases the risk of diabetes."

""If high blood pressure isn't treated, it can damage blood vessels and organs over many years," according to Bianca Bandarra, M.B.B.S., a general practitioner and executive health physician at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London. "Because of that, we need to be proactive about prevention and early diagnosis. A simple blood pressure check is an important screening tool. People with conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease or a family history of hypertension may need more frequent monitoring.""

Hypertension, or consistently high blood pressure, occurs when blood pushes against artery walls with too much force, requiring the heart to work harder. Many adults in the United States have high blood pressure, and only a minority have it controlled. It often begins in the late 30s or early 40s and becomes more common with age, while obesity increases the number of children affected. Untreated hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney and eye problems, dementia, and metabolic syndrome. Hypertension typically develops without symptoms, so people may not realize they have it. Prevention and early diagnosis rely on simple blood pressure checks, with more frequent monitoring for people with diabetes, kidney disease, or family history.

Read at Alternative Medicine Magazine