What is Hypertension?

Hypertension, otherwise known as High Blood Pressure (HBP), occurs when your heart is pumping blood at an elevated rate for long periods of time. Your heart rate is supposed to rise and fall throughout the day, but having high pressure levels can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Why Should You Care?

33% of U.S. adults have HBP
- That's approximately 68 million people!
  - 69% of people with their first heart attack have HBP
  - 77% of people who have their first stroke have HBP
  - 74% of people who have chronic heart failure have HBP
HBP is a primary / contributing cause of death in 348,000 people
Around $131 billion is spent in medical costs
- Approximately $25 billion is lost in worker productivity
30% of adults have prehypertension, which means that their blood pressure is borderline, but not in the HBP range
Only 46% of people with HBP have their condition in control

Risk Factors / Causes

There are a few factors that can influence your chances for High Blood Pressure:

• Low body water levels	• Kidney condition
• Nervous system condition	• Blood vessel condition
• Level of body hormones	• High dietary salt
• African American ethnicity	• Family history
• Being overweight / obese	• Overstress / anxiety
• Too much alcohol	• Smoking

Secondary factors include:

Chronic kidney disease
Adrenal gland disorder
Pregnancy
Narrowed arteries to kidneys
Hyperparathyroidism
Certain medications, such as:
- Birth control
- Diet pills
- Cold meds
- Migraine medication

Symptoms

The beginning stages of HBP, for some people, may appear to be silent without symptoms until pressure rises high enough to trigger any of the below.

• Severe headache	• Vision changes
• Nausea / vomiting	• Nosebleeds
• Confusion	• High cholesterol
• Heart disease	• Kidney disease

Treatment

HBP can be managed through several steps:

• Eat a heart-healthy diet	• Lower sodium intake to less than 1500 mg per day
• Lower total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol	• Quit smoking
• Exercise regularly	• Maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce stress	• Limit alcohol intake