Defining Hypertension
Author: Donald Saunders
Category: Health
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The problem with high blood pressure today is that it is so common and so frequently talked about that far too many people do not appear to treat it with the respect which it deserves. The simple fact is that high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a killer disease and ought to be treated as such.
Many hundreds of doctors and scientists have spent a great deal of money, time and effort trying to identify just what a true definition of hypertension is.
Over the years there have been countless studies performed on this topic which have given the doctors and scientists a wide range of blood pressure values to work with. Unfortunately however the results are generally skewed and vary from country to country and even from district to district within a given country. It has been concluded therefore that the true definition of hypertension can only be found through constant observation and experimentation.
Normal blood pressure is recognized much like normal body weight in the sense that the level used for its definition is that which is seen as providing the greatest predicted life expectancy. This is the pressure at which the heart together with other important parts of the body such as the circulatory system are able to operate under optimum conditions without the risk of heart disease and associated conditions.
Naturally there are a number of other considerations which have to be taken into account when defining high blood pressure and some have to be excluded. For example, If a healthy individual gets then their systolic (or pumping) blood pressure will rise by possibly as much as fifty percent as their blood flow rises in response to emotional excitement or any form of energetic exercise. But it does not remain high for long and as soon as the level of excitement has gone down your blood pressure also returns to its normal level.
As well as your systolic (pumping) blood pressure you also have a diastolic (resting) blood pressure which is the more important and is a very good guide in ascertaining whether or not a high reading is a false positive. The reason why the diastolic pressure is important is because it indicates the state of a person's arteries and if you have a high reading it may show that your arteries are restricted and not allowing a free flow of blood.
It is very important to realize that hypertension is not a disease in itself but is a key criterion by which doctors can predict or diagnose other illnesses.
Lastly, it is also necessary to know that high blood pressure cannot be cured but that it can be very well controlled.
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Keywords: blood pressure, high blood pressure, hypertension, blood pressure monitors
View Count: 394
Date Submitted: 1/21/2009
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