Health Advice Articles

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a very serious and growing problem that now affects more than 72 million American adults. It almost seems incredible but that means that 1 in 3 adults in the United States are suffering from high blood pressure. With almost 60 million Americans now over the age of 55 this also means that Americans have a 90 percent chance of suffering from hypertension at some time in life. And, if you happen to be an African American then you have a greater chance of developing hypertension than other ethnic groups and are lokely to experience hypertension at an earlier age and more severely.

However that is not the end of the story because there are now some 20 million Americans suffering from diabetes and an almost unbelievable 142 million Americans who are overweight or obese and both of these categories are at greater risk of suffering from hypertension.

So just why should we be so concerned about developing hypertension?

High blood pressure is a very serious condition that can easily lead to other life-threatening conditions like heart disease, which is the main cause of death in the United States today, and stroke, which is presently the third highest cause of death. In fact hypertension is a contributory factor in two thirds of all heart attacks in the US and in over three quarters of all strokes.

High blood pressure is also the leading reason for visits to the doctor and even a modest decline in the number of sufferers of around ten percent could save about $450 million dollars each year. In total it is estimated that the cost of treating hypertension and its complications costs the American economy approximately $100 billion a year.

So just what is the answer to the problem?

First, the answer lies in educating individuals about the problem of hypertension and about how to avoid developing it in the first place. The majority of of people suffering today effectively cause the condition themselves because of their lifestyle. A poor choice of diet, insufficient exercise, too much drinking and tobacco are all causes of high blood pressure and are all totally within our own control.

Second, we must get people into the habit of checking their own blood pressure on a regular basis because unfortunately it is a condition with few if any symptoms to warn us of its presence. Today there are several excellent and quite inexpensive home blood pressure monitors (including a number of Omron blood pressure monitors which have a world-wide reputation for excellence) that are quick and simple to use and could quite literally save your life.