Hypertension - a Silent Killer Rises Due to Rise in Blood Pressure

Hypertension is often known as a silent killer. Hypertension is the increase in blood pressure inside the arteries, caused due to high pressure exerted by the heart to pump the blood into the system. The higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk of stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and even, new research has found dementia. Hypertension contributes to heart attacks and strokes by damaging the inner walls of the arteries and by speeding up the inflammatory process. Hypertension is the number one risk factor for strokes.

Causes of hypertension: In 90 percent to 95 percent of high blood pressure cases, there is no identifiable cause. This type of high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

The other 5 percent to 10 percent of high blood pressure cases are caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions can lead to secondary hypertension, including kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain congenital heart defects.

Certain medications — including birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs — also may cause secondary hypertension.

Alcohol intake, smoking and cocaine intake can cause hypertension through varied mechanisms.

In addition to the appropriate medications, with correct lifestyle interventions (the right diet, losing weight, regular exercise, stress management and yoga), one can get hypertension under control and significantly lower one’s risk of developing life-threatening diseases.

Tips to maintain healthy blood pressure:

* Maintain a healthy weight; if you are overweight, lose some. Being overweight increases your risk of high blood pressure by six to eight times.
* Be more physically active. Fit some light activity into your daily routine like taking a walk at lunchtime or dinner, using the stairs instead of the elevator etc.
* Choose foodstuffs lower in salt and sodium.
* Check food labels for information of sodium in the food. Look for products with "unsalted" or "sodium free" labels.
* Buy fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, and fresh, or canned with "no salt added", vegetables.
* Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, canned soups, broths and salad dressings, which are high in sodium.
* If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation (maximum 1-2drinks per day). If you have no more than 2 drinks a day, your risk of high blood pressure is low.
* Stop smoking.
* There is evidence that inclusion of few of the foods rich in calcium, potassium, omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium etc , may help prevent hypertension.