Description: Hypertension is considered the most common cardiovascular problem in the U. Approximately 50 million people have hypertension that requires monitoring or treatment, or both. Hypertension.
The condition is usually detected in people aged 30 to 50 years; however, it is being found with increasing frequency in children. Hypertension occurs twice as often in blacks as in whites and is more common in women than in men. Hypertension is called "the silent killer" because it often has no symptoms and is not discovered until a serious complication develops. It has been estimated that 50% of those with hypertension do not know they have it, but public education is improving the detection rates for this condition. Complications of hypertension, including damage to the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes, increase after age 50 years. Men, especially black men, suffer serious complications more often than women. Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death in hypertensive people. The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure defines normal blood pressure as systolic pressure of less than 130 mm Hg and diastolic pressure of less than 85 mm Hg. Patients with systolic pressure between 130 and 139 and with diastolic pressures between 85 and 89 are considered to be high normal. Some people have only occasional elevations in blood pressure and normal readings at other times. These findings are called isolated pressure elevations. Isolated systolic blood pressure elevations of 160 mm Hg or more frequently occur in the elderly. The elevations are most often due to atherosclerosis. Hypertension is classified as primary (essential) or secondary. Primary hypertension accounts for 90% to 95% of all cases of hypertension. Its cause is unknown. Secondary hypertension is caused by underlying factors such as kidney disease, certain arterial conditions, some drugs, and occasionally pregnancy.