High blood pressure or hypertension, is the most usual chronic adult illness. It is not a disease of the heart, yet of the arteries. There is no cure for high blood pressure, yet it can be controlled.
High blood pressure is one of the three major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Controlling your blood pressure can moreover reduce the risk of kidney disease. The sooner your blood pressure is controlled, the less you risk future problems.
Complications:
Stroke
Heart Attack
Heart failure
Kidney failure
Causes:
The cause of high blood pressure are unknown in about 90 percent of cases. However, there are factors that increase the risk of hypertension:
Kidney disease
Adrenal disorders
Congenital heart defects
Certain drugs (e.g. oral contraceptives)
Preeclampsia, a problem in pregnancy
Risk Factors:
Age. As the large arteries become more rigid with age, the resistance to the flow of blood increases, raising the pressure.
Hereditary
Gender (more usual in men)
Smoking
Excessive alcohol/salt intake, obesity, lack of exercise
Excessive stress
