High Blood Pressure

Costs to treat stroke in America may double by 2030

Costs to treat stroke are projected to more than double and the number of people having strokes may increase 20 percent by 2030, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Cardiology created 22 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Mediterranean diet seems to boost ageing brain power

A Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts seems to improve the brain power of older people better than advising them to follow a low-fat diet, indicates research published online in the Journal of ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 20, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 3

Facing the chill wind of blood pressure

(Medical Xpress)—High blood pressure is something that has traditionally been a problem in Scotland, but might there be a link to our climate?

Health created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Beta-blockers may boost chemo effect in childhood cancer

Beta-blockers, normally used for high blood pressure, could enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapies in treating neuroblastoma, a type of children's cancer, according to a new study published in the British Jo ...

Cancer created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Salt consumption in India: The need for data to initiate population-based prevention efforts

(Medical Xpress)—International researchers are studying the salt intake of Indian adults to provide vital new data to aid the development of a national salt reduction strategy.

Health created May 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New protein-targeting drug shows promise in early trial for patients with high-risk CLL

A new oral targeted drug, idelalisib (GS-1101), has the potential to stave off the need for additional treatments for relapsed or treatment-resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a study led in part by ...

Cancer created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Depression linked to almost doubled stroke risk in middle-aged women

Depressed middle-aged women have almost double the risk of having a stroke, according to research published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Cardiology created May 16, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Heart failure patients living longer, but long-term survival still low

People hospitalized for acute heart failure are likely to survive longer compared to the prior decade, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association and presented at the American Heart Association's ...

Cardiology created May 16, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Australia: Stroke rates decline, but many still preventable

The rate of strokes suffered by Australians has dropped over the past 20 years, while strokes caused by an irregular heartbeat now account for one third of all strokes, according to new research led by the University of Adelaide.

Cardiology created May 16, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Hypertension (HTN) or high blood pressure, sometimes arterial hypertension, is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. This requires the heart to work harder than normal to circulate blood through the blood vessels. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and diastolic, which depend on whether the heart muscle is contracting (systole) or relaxed (diastole) between beats. Normal blood pressure is at or below 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure is said to be present if it is persistently at or above 140/90 mmHg.

Hypertension is classified as either primary (essential) hypertension or secondary hypertension; about 90–95% of cases are categorized as "primary hypertension" which means high blood pressure with no obvious underlying medical cause. The remaining 5–10% of cases (secondary hypertension) are caused by other conditions that affect the kidneys, arteries, heart or endocrine system.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attacks), heart failure, aneurysms of the arteries (e.g. aortic aneurysm), peripheral arterial disease and is a cause of chronic kidney disease. Even moderate elevation of arterial blood pressure is associated with a shortened life expectancy. Dietary and lifestyle changes can improve blood pressure control and decrease the risk of associated health complications, although drug treatment is often necessary in patients for whom lifestyle changes prove ineffective or insufficient.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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