About High Blood Pressure<\/b><\/p>\n
Hypertension, which is a synonym for high blood pressure, is often called the silent killer, because in most people it causes few if any symptoms. As many as one-third of the estimated 50 million people in this country with hypertension are not aware of it.<\/p>\n
Normal Blood Pressure is considered to be 120\/80. Anything more than 5 points above this is less than ideal; readings higher than 130\/90 are considered hypertension, though many doctors take a watch and wait approach until blood pressure readings get closer to 140\/90.<\/p>\n
You should be aware that a diagnosis of high blood pressure requires two<\/i> consecutive high readings. If you\u2019ve been told that you have high blood pressure after one reading, you should ask for another reading to be taken on another day.<\/p>\n
White Coat Hypertension<\/b><\/p>\n
Also, if you\u2019ve been told you have high blood pressure in the doctor\u2019s office, you should keep in mind the phenomenon called \u201cwhite coat hypertension,\u201d which is a fancy way of saying that some people\u2019s blood pressure goes up in the doctor\u2019s office (as a result of the stress and fear some people experience at the doctor\u2019s). For this reason, when your blood pressure is taken at the doctor\u2019s office, you should do your best to relax; your blood pressure should not be taken if you\u2019ve just rushed in to your appointment, or if your conversation with your doctor (before your blood pressure is taken) has caused you to feel anxious or stressed; or if you need to go to the bathroom. In some cases it may be helpful to wait five minutes and have your blood pressure taken again if the first reading is high and any of the above circumstances may have affected it.<\/p>\n
High blood pressure can result from a variety of factors; it does not have one single cause. In fact, the most common type of hypertension, which is called primary hypertension, is considered to have an unknown cause.<\/p>\n
High Blood Pressure increases one\u2019s risk of heart attack and stroke and other cardiovascular disease: the longer you have blood pressure, and the higher it is, the higher the risk.<\/p>\n
High Blood Pressure and Insulin Resistance<\/b><\/p>\n