Health

Q&A: Caffeine's effects on blood sugar and blood pressure

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I love to drink coffee. I often have multiple cups a day. Recently, I was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. My doctor advised that I may want to cut back on my beverage of choice, as it is ...

Cardiology

Two probiotics identified as promising hypertension treatments

An estimated 40% of the global adult population have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which puts people at risk of cardiovascular disease and other dangerous health conditions. Recent studies suggest that probiotics ...

Genetics

A person's height impacts their risk of multiple diseases

Whether tall or short, a person's height increases their risk for a variety of diseases, according to a new study led by Sridharan Raghavan of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, U.S. publishing June 2nd in the ...

Health

Osteoporosis and a bone-healthy diet

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis and my health care team suggested that I eat a bone-healthy diet to prevent more issues and maintain strong bones as I age. What is osteoporosis, and how can I ...

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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.

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