High Blood Pressure
Thursday, January 15th, 2009Blood pressure is the result of two forces. The heart creates one as it pushes blood into the arteries and through the circulatory system. The other is the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. Blood pressure varies with age and individual variations are common within each age group. Elevated blood pressure indicates that the heart is working harder than normal, putting both the heart and the arteries under a greater strain. This increases the risk of having heart attacks, strokes, kidney failures, damage to the eyes, atherosclerosis. If this condition is not addressed, the heart may have to work progressively harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to organs and tissues in the body to meet their needs.
According to the American Heart Association, over 73 million of Americans over the age of 20 years have high blood pressure, that means one out of three people has hypertension. Between 1994 and 2004, there has been a total increase of nearly 27 percent of people with hypertension. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of causes of premature death and disability in the United States.
This is a common condition that is thought to have a number of contributing factors, such as heredity, race, obesity, age, hormonal disorders, stress and sedentary lifestyle. Almost a third of the people with hypertension in the US are unaware of their condition. Lack of education, inaccessibility to proper nutrition, increased stress, as well as the technological advances have turned the professional world into a more passive community.
Healthy lifestyle modifications, including wholesome nutrition, reduced alcohol and caffeine consumption, weight reduction, smoking cessation, and increased levels of exercise are some of the examples of the techniques that can be of a great benefit.


