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Hypertension Introduction |
Hypertension
is defined as an elevation in
systolic or diastolic blood
pressure. The condition is
divided into several groups,
including;
-
Pre-hypertension
[120-139/80-94]
-
Mild hypertension
[140-160/95-104]
-
Moderate
hypertension [140-180/105-114]
-
Severe
hypertension [160+/115]
Patients with high
blood pressure divided into two
specific categories; those with
essential or primary hypertension
and those with secondary
hypertension. Essential
hypertension is high blood
pressure with no known cause.
Secondary hypertension results
from another disease process in the
body, such as kidney disease,
cancer, or Cushing's disease to name
a few. A person can be
diagnosed with hypertension with
elevations in the systolic pressure,
diastolic pressure, or both. [1]
-
More than 60
million Americans have high blood
pressure.
-
80% of patients
with high blood pressure are in
the pre-hypertension to moderate
hypertension range. [2]
-
53% of Americans
age 65-74 have high blood
pressure. It is more common in
African Americans than Caucasians. Mexican Americans have a lower
incidence than African Americans
and Caucasians.
-
Morbidity and
mortality are greatest in African
Americans. If persons with
high isolated systolic and
diastolic blood pressures were to
be included in statistical
findings; statistics would be
frightening. More
than half of African American and
Caucasian men would be classified
as having hypertension, and more than 60% of
all women. [3]
-
More than 19,000
deaths per year are attributed to
hypertension alone. [4]
-
85-90% of cases are
due to essential (primary)
hypertension, 5-10% are due to
kidney disease, and only 1-2% are
caused by a curable condition. [5]
Essential or
primary hypertension is
without symptoms until complications
occur. The symptoms develop when a
target organ (heart, brain, blood
vessels, kidney, eyes) begins to be
adversely affected by the rise in
blood pressure. Severe hypertension
can cause hypertension
encephalopathy and cerebral edema, which
can result in dizziness,
headache, nervousness, flushed facies, fatigue, and nosebleeds.
Symptoms of heart and
vessel damage that can develop due
to high blood pressure include;
Specific kidney
symptoms include;
-
increased frequency
of urination
-
blood or protein in
the urine
-
electrolyte and
nitrogen imbalances
Eye symptoms
include;
-
retinal hemorrhage
-
papilledema
-
vascular accidents [6]
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