| High blood pressure is called the silent killer. | | | | blacks than do ACE inhibitors or beta blockers |
| High blood pressure or hypertension means high | | | | alone. Some medicines lower blood pressure by |
| pressure (tension) in the arteries. Arteries are | | | | removing extra fluid and salt from your body. |
| vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart | | | | Others affect blood pressure by slowing down |
| to all the tissues and organs of the body. High | | | | the heartbeat or by relaxing and widening blood |
| blood pressure directly increases the risk of | | | | vessels. Diuretics are sometimes called water pills. |
| coronary heart disease (which leads to heart | | | | They work by helping your kidneys flush excess |
| attack) and stroke, especially when it's present | | | | water and salt from your body. Beta blockers |
| with other risk factors. High blood pressure can | | | | help your heart beat slower and with less force. |
| occur in children or adults, but it's more common | | | | Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors |
| among people over age 35. It's particularly | | | | keep your body from making a hormone called |
| prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and | | | | angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels |
| elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and | | | | to narrow. Angiotensin II receptor blockers |
| women taking birth control pills. It may run in | | | | (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that |
| families, but many people with a strong family | | | | protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II. |
| history of high blood pressure never have it. High | | | | Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium |
| blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140 | | | | from entering the muscle cells of your heart and |
| 90 mmHg or higher. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults | | | | blood vessels. Vasodilators open blood vessels by |
| has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure | | | | directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, |
| develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. High blood | | | | causing blood pressure to go down. |
| pressure is called the silent killer because it usually | | | | High Blood Pressure Treatment Tips |
| has no symptoms. Affecting approximately one in | | | | 1. Diuretics are sometimes called water pills. They |
| four adults in the United States, hypertension is | | | | work by helping your kidneys flush excess water |
| clearly a major public health problem. | | | | and salt from your body. |
| High blood pressure typically develops without | | | | 2. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors |
| signs or symptoms. and it affects nearly | | | | keep your body from making a hormone called |
| everyone eventually. There are two levels of high | | | | angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels |
| blood pressure: stage 1 and stage 2. It is less | | | | to narrow. |
| common in younger adults. Most cases are mildly | | | | 3. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are |
| high (up to 160/100 mmHg). However, at least 1 | | | | newer blood pressure medicines that protect your |
| in 20 adults have blood pressure of 160/100 | | | | blood vessels from angiotensin II. |
| mmHg or above. High blood pressure is more | | | | 4. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium |
| common in people with diabetes. About 3 in 10 | | | | from entering the muscle cells of your heart and |
| people with Type 1 diabetes and more than half | | | | blood vessels. |
| of people with Type 2 diabetes eventually | | | | 5. Alpha-beta blockers reduce nerve impulses to |
| develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure is | | | | blood vessels the same way alpha blockers do, |
| a 'risk factor' for developing a cardiovascular | | | | but they also slow the heartbeat, as beta |
| disease , and kidney damage, sometime in the | | | | blockers do. |
| future. High blood pressure usually has no | | | | 6. Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels |
| symptoms, but it can cause serious problems with | | | | by controlling nerve impulses from the brain. |
| such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and | | | | 7. Vasodilators open blood vessels by directly |
| kidney failure. It is estimated that one in every | | | | relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing |
| four American adults has high blood pressure. | | | | blood pressure to go down. |
| Some people can prevent or control high blood | | | | 8. Alpha-beta blockers- reducing nerve impulses to |
| pressure by changing to healthier habits. | | | | blood vessels, alpha-beta blockers slow the |
| Calcium channel blockers may work better for | | | | heartbeat to reduce the amount of blood. |