This document discusses hypertension, or high blood pressure, in adults. It defines normal and elevated blood pressure readings and describes the two main types of hypertension: primary (without a known cause) and secondary (caused by another disease). Risk factors for developing hypertension include genetics, family history, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, high sodium diet, alcohol, tobacco use, and age. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and vision loss. The document outlines treatments, which typically begin with lifestyle changes and may progress to drug therapy. Prevention focuses on lifestyle modifications and regular blood pressure screening.

2. CLASSIFICATION
ADULTS AGE 18 AND OLDER*
Systolic BP Diastolic BP
Normal 120 80 mm Hg
Prehypertension 120–139 80–89 mm Hg
Stage 1 140–159 90–99 mm Hg
Stage 2 160 100 mm Hg

3. Types of Hypertension
 Affects ~50 million people in the US
 Types:
 1. Primary
 Chronic high blood pressure without a source or associated
with any other disease
 Most common form of hypertension
 2. Secondary
 Elevation of blood pressure associated with another disease
such as kidney disease

4. Causes
 Genetics-some people are prone to hypertension simply based
off of their genetic makeup
 Family History- your risk for high blood pressure/hypertension
increases if it is in your family history
 Environment
 Inactivity
 Stress
 Obesity
 Alcohol
 High Sodium Diet
 Tobacco Use
 Age
 Menopausal Medications

5. Further Complications of High
Blood Pressure
 Thickening of the heart muscle
 Increased workload of the heart
 May lead to other conditions such as:
 Heart attack
 Stroke
 Renal (Kidney) Failure
 Loss of vision

6. Who is at Risk??
 African Americans have a higher risk of high blood
pressure/hypertension
 40% of all African Americans in the US will develop
hypertension in comparison to 27% in white
populations
 This is due to:
 African Americans respond differently to Blood Pressure
medications
 African Americans have a higher sensitivity to salt
 ½ teaspoon of salt can raise your blood pressure 5mmHg

7. Signs and Symptoms
 Diagnosed through repeat blood pressure readings
 Primary Hypertension does not have symptoms other
than high blood pressure
 Secondary Hypertension
 Most likely caused by Renal Disorders, symptoms you
will see:
 Decreased urine formation
 Increased sodium and water retention

8. Treatments
 Step 1:
 Lifestyle modifications
 Diet and exercise
 Limit alcohol and tobacco use
 Reduce stress factors
 Step 2:
 If lifestyle changes are not enough, drug therapy will be
introduced
 Step 3:
 If previous steps don’t work, drug dose or type will be
changed or another drug is added
 Step 4:
 More medications are added until blood pressure is
controlled

9. Prevention
 Lifestyle changes
 Having regular checkups with your physician
 Education
 Being aware of your blood pressure and where it should
be
 Understanding your personal risk factors
 Engaging in community health awareness acitivities

10. Living With High Blood Pressure
 Living with High Blood Pressure requires a lot of lifestyle
changes
 Diet
 Exercise
 Taking prescribed medications as required by your doctor
 Recognize it is an ongoing process which requires regular
checkups, taking medication regularly and checking
blood pressure regularly
 Recognizing there can be complications with pregnancy
while living with high blood pressure
 Damage to kidneys and other organs in mother and fetus
 Low birth weight
 Preeclampsia

11. References
 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-
topics/topics/hbp/signs.html