Hypertension or high blood pressure has become a common health problem. •High blood pressure may cause coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease and dementia. •The narrower your arteries are, the higher your blood pressure will be. •Your blood pressure measurement takes into account how much blood is passing through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood meets while the heart is pumping. •High blood pressure generally develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. •Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it. Get more details @

2. Introduction
•Hypertension or high blood pressure has become a common health problem.
•High blood pressure may cause coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial
fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease and
dementia.
•The narrower your arteries are, the higher your blood pressure will be.
•Your blood pressure measurement takes into account how much blood is passing
through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood meets while the
heart is pumping.
•High blood pressure generally develops over many years, and it affects nearly
everyone eventually.
•Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have
high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

3. Symptoms
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Nosebleeds
• Flushing
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Visual changes
• Blood in the urine

4. Causes
There are two types of hypertension. They are:
1. Primary Hypertension
This kind of hypertension develops over the time due to these reasons:
i. Genes
ii. Physical changes
iii. Environment
2. Secondary hypertension
It is more severe than primary hypertension. It happens due to these factors:
i. kidney disease
ii. obstructive sleep apnea
iii. congenital heart defects
iv. problems with your thyroid
v. side effects of medications
vi. use of illegal drugs or alcohol abuse
vii. adrenal gland problems
viii. certain endocrine tumors

5. Risk factors
• Age
• Race
• Family History
• Being Overweight or Obese
• Not Being Physically active
• Using tobacco
• Too much salt (sodium) in your diet
• Too little potassium in your diet
• Too little vitamin D in your diet
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Stress

6. Diagnosis
• Diagnosing hypertension is as simple as taking a blood pressure reading.
• Two numbers create a blood pressure reading:
1. Systolic pressure: This is the first, or top, number. It indicates the pressure in
your arteries when your heart beats and pumps out blood.
2. Diastolic pressure: This is the second, or bottom, number. It’s the reading of
the pressure in your arteries between beats of your heart.
• Five categories define blood pressure readings for adults:
1. Healthy: less than 120/80 mm Hg.
2. Elevated: The systolic number is between 120 and 129 mm Hg, and the
diastolic number is less than 80 mm Hg.
3. Stage 1 hypertension: The systolic number is between 130 and 139 mm Hg,
or the diastolic number is between 80 and 89 mm Hg.
4. Stage 2 hypertension: The systolic number is 140 mm Hg or higher, or the
diastolic number is 90 mm Hg or higher.
5. Hypertensive crisis: The systolic number is
over 180 mm Hg, or the diastolic number is over
120 mm Hg.

7. Treatment
Medications to treat high blood pressure:
1. Diuretics
2. Beta-blockers
3. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
4. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
5. Calcium channel blockers
6. Alpha-2 agonists
7. Renin inhibitor
8. Central-acting agents
9. Vasodilators
10. Aldosterone antagonists

8. Prevention
Lifestyle changes to treat high blood pressure:
• Developing a healthy diet
• Increasing physical activity
• Reaching a healthy weight
• Managing stress
• Eat less meat, more plants
• Reduce dietary sodium
• Cut back on sweets