Hypertension is another name for high blood-pressure. Around 85 million people in the US alone suffer from Hypertension and it can be a severely debilitating condition. Hypertension can severely impact your quality of life and vastly increases your chances of disease, stroke, and death.
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is measured by the force of the blood exerted against the walls of the blood vessels, the higher the pressure depends on how much work the heart must do to pump blood in and out of the heart. Clogs or resistance in the blood vessels are a big factor in raising blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured as systolic, the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body, and diastolic, the pressure as the heart relaxes and refills with blood.
This chart below shows normal blood pressure versus blood pressure in the stages on hypertension.
| |
Systolic |
Diastolic |
| Normal blood pressure |
120 |
80 |
| Prehypertension |
Between 120 and 139 |
Between 80 and 89 |
| Stage 1 hypertension |
Between 140 and 159 |
Between 90 and 99 |
| Stage 2 hypertension |
160 |
100 |
| Hypertensive crisis |
180 |
110 |
Risk Factors of Hypertension
- Age: Hypertension is far more common in those over the age of 60.
- Ethnicity: certain ethnicities are more prone to having high blood pressure than others.
- Size & Weight: Those who are overweight and obese.
- Sex: men are far more prone to hypertension at a younger age, while women are more prone at an older age.
- Presexisting health issues: Cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, kidney disease, as well as many other issues can raise your chances of hypertension.
