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What Is Hypertension?

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day. Each time your heart beats, blood is pumped through the various blood vessels in your body. Your blood pressure is defined as the pressure the blood exerts on the vessel walls. If the pressure is too low, the blood may not reach certain areas of the body. If the blood pressure is too high, the heart and blood vessel walls may be damaged.

Hypertension is a condition where the blood pressure is constantly higher than normal. This poses a serious health risk because it forces the heart to work extra hard. The effects of hypertension include strokes and heart attacks.

One in four Americans suffer from hypertension. This astounding statistic is due in large part to various contributing factors, such as smoking, a diet rich in fat and cholesterol, and stress. African Americans and people with a family history of hypertension are at a greater risk for developing high blood pressure.

In 95 percent of hypertension cases, the cause is unknown. Experts are aware of contributing factors that increase the chances of developing hypertension, but no one has been able to determine a direct link between the factors and developing high blood pressure.

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