Hypertension continues as the "silent killer" despite decades of awareness of the dangerous of high blood pressure and many effective medications to treat the condition. Left untreated, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, vision problems, and stroke. Untreated hypertension can reduce life expectancy by 10 to 20 years.

Blood pressure is the force of the blood in the arteries. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). When the heart beats it forces blood through the arteries, the pressure of this force is known as the systolic pressure. Normal systolic pressure is 120 or less. When the heart relaxes and fills back up with blood, the pressure that remains in the arteries is known as the diastolic pressure. Normal diastolic pressure is 80 or less. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg.

Most people have essential hypertension which has no easily identifiable cause. The probability of developing high blood pressure increases with age. It is felt that in the last few decades a decline in healthy lifestyles has increased the risk of hypertension. In fact, 9 out of 10 people in developed countries are at risk of developing hypertension after age 50. About 5 to 10% of people have secondary hypertension in which there is an identifiable cause for their high blood pressure. Causes include certain types of kidney disease, certain gland disorders, chronic use or abuse of substances such as alcohol or anabolic steroids, and certain tumors.

Sustained elevations in blood pressure cause changes in the heart and blood vessels. The risk of complications from untreated hypertension approximately doubles with each 6 mm Hg increase in diastolic pressure. Hypertension can damage both large and small arteries. This can lead to damage to tissues and organs supplied by these blood vessels, most often the brain, heart, kidneys, and eyes. Hypertension increases the rate at which plaque builds up in arteries known as atherosclerosis. It can weaken the walls of the arteries causing a bulge known as an aneurysm. Rupture of an aneurysm in the brain causes a hemorrhagic stroke. Hypertension can also reduce blood flow to the brain and decreased memory. Atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries can lead to angina and heart attack. With hypertension the heart has to constantly work harder against the elevated blood pressure causing the muscle in the left ventricle to thicken known as left ventricular hypertrophy. This is a contributing factor in all heart disease. Hypertension damages both large and small vessels in the kidneys leading to kidney failure. It also damages blood vessels feeding the eyes causing damage to the retina (retinopathy) and the optic nerve. Hypertension is a leading cause of blindness.

Preventing hypertension requires regular monitoring of blood pressure as we are all at risk for it to increase as we age. A healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, reduced salt consumption, no smoking and moderate alcohol use is the best protection against hypertension.

References: http://www.cardiologychannel.com/hypertension/, , http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/heart/hypertension/hyper.about.complications.htm.

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