An Overview of High Blood Pressure and Treatment Options

Living with a chronic condition like high blood pressure can be scary, but being informed about the condition and how to treat it is a great way to help keep it under control. Through tools like this website, Medtronic is committed to providing the information you need to help you live well and manage your high blood pressure.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a measure of the force of blood pushing against the artery walls as it flows through the body. Everyone experiences daily fluctuations in blood pressure, but typically these changes are temporary and have no lasting impact on our health. In fact, it is normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, and to rise and fall throughout the day with changes in activity or emotional states. Some individuals, however, experience elevated levels of blood pressure for sustained periods of time. Consistently high blood pressure forces the heart to work beyond its capacity and can be life-threatening. Just as too much air pressure can damage a tire, high blood pressure can damage arteries. High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, coronary heart disease and other health problems.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

While hypertension can affect anyone, a poor diet, stress, hormones and lack of exercise may contribute to its onset. Certain medications may also raise your blood pressure. You may know family members with high blood pressure—hypertension is often passed down through generations. High blood pressure can also be linked to overactive nerves in the sympathetic nervous system, which includes the major organs that are responsible for regulating blood pressure: the brain, heart, kidneys and blood vessels. Abnormally elevated nerve traffic between the kidneys, heart and brain can increase blood pressure.

Diagnosis

Many people may not realise that they have high blood pressure. Because of its limited symptoms, hypertension is often called “the silent killer.” Luckily, high blood pressure can be diagnosed with a series of blood pressure tests. Blood pressure is measured as systolic and diastolic pressures. “Systolic” refers to blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. “Diastolic” refers to blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. Blood pressure readings are typically written with the systolic number in front of the diastolic number, such as 120/80 mmHg. The “mmHg” refers to millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure. People with blood pressure readings of 140/90 mmHg or higher, taken on at least two occasions, are considered to have high blood pressure. People with blood pressure readings of 200/120 mmHg or higher require immediate treatment. Individuals with diabetes are typically treated if their blood pressure rises above 130/80, since their condition already puts them at a higher risk of heart disease. If the pressure remains high, preliminary treatment is generally started.

Treatment Options for High Blood Pressure

Traditionally, patients with high blood pressure are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and are often given antihypertensive medications. Following a disciplined treatment plan is important to reduce the problems associated with high blood pressure.

* Lifestyle Changes

Controlling high blood pressure means integrating healthy habits including:

 - Limiting alcohol

 - Maintaining a healthy weight

 - Getting plenty of exercise

 - Reducing sodium intake

 - Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables

 - Reducing total fat intake

 - Quitting smoking

 - Managing stress

* Medications

More severe cases of hypertension are treated with drug therapies. Modern antihypertensive medications are designed to work in different ways to lower blood pressure—some remove extra fluid and salt from the body, some slow down the heartbeat and others relax and widen blood vessels. For some patients, many medications work better than one to control high blood pressure.

Unfortunately, in about half of all treated patients, lifestyle changes and medications are not enough to control high blood pressure. Some people with uncontrolled hypertension are called “treatment-resistant hypertensive,” which means that their blood pressure is above accepted levels despite the use of three or more antihypertensive drugs one of which is a diuretic. Resistant hypertensive individuals require more aggressive treatment than lifestyle changes and medications can provide.

(Source: http://www.medtronicrdn.com)