High Blood Pressure

National Sleep Foundation poll finds exercise key to good sleep

Exercise can affect your sleep. The results of the National Sleep Foundation's 2013 Sleep in America poll show a compelling association between exercise and better sleep.

Health created Mar 04, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Drug may ease angina in people with type 2 diabetes

(HealthDay)—The drug Ranexa (ranolazine) may help reduce chest pain in people with type 2 diabetes, a new study finds.

Diabetes created Mar 11, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

US company identified as manufacture of lead paint in Africa

House paint containing dangerous concentrations of lead is being sold in Cameroon by an American company – and the company is refusing to remove the paint from store shelves.

Health created Mar 19, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Eating more fiber may lower risk of first-time stroke

Eating more fiber may decrease your risk of first-time stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

Cardiology created Mar 28, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Fatty acid metabolite shows promise against cancer in mice

A team of UC Davis scientists has found that a product resulting from a metabolized omega-3 fatty acid helps combat cancer by cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients that fuel tumor growth and spread of the disease.

Cancer created Apr 02, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Molecular hub links obesity, heart disease to high blood pressure

(Medical Xpress)—Obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure (hypertension) are all related, but understanding the molecular pathways that underlie cause and effect is complicated.

Medical research created Apr 11, 2013 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Alternative therapies may help lower blood pressure, AHA scientific statement report says

Alternative therapies such as aerobic exercise, resistance or strength training, and isometric hand grip exercises may help reduce your blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

Health created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study finds physicians less likely to 'bond' with overweight patients

In a small study of 39 primary care doctors and 208 of their patients, Johns Hopkins researchers have found that physicians built much less of an emotional rapport with their overweight and obese patients than with their ...

Overweight and Obesity created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Sunshine could benefit health and prolong life, study suggests

Exposing skin to sunlight may help to reduce blood pressure, cut the risk of heart attack and stroke – and even prolong life, a study suggests.

Health created May 07, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Scientists identify culprit in obesity-associated high blood pressure

Obesity and its related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke are among the most challenging of today's healthcare concerns.

Medical research created Jan 31, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Medical myth? Crossing your legs is bad for your health

Almost everyone crosses their legs, whether it's conscious or unconscious, for custom, for comfort, for effect, to stop your legs splaying, to take pressure off a foot, or for no reason at all. But is it ...

Health created Apr 01, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Estrogen levels tied to risk for sudden cardiac death in study

(HealthDay)—Higher levels of the hormone estrogen are associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death in men and women, a new study suggests.

Cardiology created May 11, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Study finds association between oxygen deprivation before birth and ADHD

Children who had in-utero exposure to ischemic-hypoxic conditions, situations during which the brain is deprived of oxygen, were significantly more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder later in life ...

Attention deficit disorders created Dec 10, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

2012 top 10 advances in heart disease and stroke research

Resuscitation, cell regeneration, a new high blood pressure treatment and developments in devices for treating stroke are among the key scientific findings that make up this year's top cardiovascular and stroke research identified ...

Cardiology created Dec 18, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Energy drinks pose risks to teens, study finds

(HealthDay)—A new report warns that popular energy drinks such as Red Bull and Rockstar pose potential hazards to teens, especially when mixed with alcohol.

Pediatrics created Feb 01, 2013 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | 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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