HERIBERTO SEDENO, M.D. LECTURE ON HYPERTENSION

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HERIBERTO SEDENO, M.D. LECTURE ON HYPERTENSION
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High blood pressurealso known as hypertensionis
a condition that increases the risk for heart
attack, stroke, kidney failure, coronary heart
disease, and other serious health problems. Blood
pressure is the force of blood pushing against
the inside walls of arteries. The harder your
heart pumps and the narrower your arteries are,
the higher your blood pressure rises. Over time,
the wear and tear caused by untreated high blood
pressure can damage your blood vessels and vital
organs.About one in three adults in the United
States has high blood pressure, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Yet, because high blood pressure itself usually
has no symptoms, the CDC says 22 percent of those
with the condition aren't aware they have it.
That's why getting your blood pressure checked
periodically is so important, even if you are
feeling fine.
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Otherwise, you may not realize there is a problem
until a complication arisesindicating that
possible permanent damage may have already been
done. Fortunately, blood pressure is easily
measured with a simple, noninvasive test Once you
know you have high blood pressure, it can be
treated with lifestyle changes and
blood-pressure-lowering medication. High blood
pressure can be divided into two broad categories
based on its cause. Primary hypertension Also
called essential hypertension, primary
hypertension has no clear-cut cause, although
genetic and lifestyle risk factors increase the
odds of developing it. This type of high blood
pressure usually develops gradually over many
years.
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From 90 to 95 percent of high blood pressure
cases in adults fall into this category. Secondary
hypertension Secondary hypertension is the
direct result of another underlying health
condition or a drug side effect. It often
develops suddenly, and it sometimes causes higher
blood pressure than does primary hypertension.
Secondary hypertension accounts for the remaining
five to 10 percent of high blood pressure cases
in adults as well as most cases in children under
ten years old. Secondary hypertension is broken
down further into a number of types Renovascular
hypertension Hypertension secondary to other
renal disorders Hypertension secondary to
endocrine disorders Other secondary hypertension
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