Blood pressure is the force of blood acting on the walls of the arteries as the pumping action of the heart circulates blood throughout the body. A blood pressure reading uses millimeters of mercury units, or mmHg, and has a systolic component as...
Approximately 1-in-3 adults in the United States has high blood pressure, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so it can be present for years before a person becomes aware of it. High...
The vast majority of hypertension, or high blood pressure, is termed essential. It has no single, reversible cause, notes MayoClinic.com. Conversely, secondary hypertension stems from a separate, treatable medical problem. The first test for...
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, your doctor will probably request some adjustments in your lifestyle, such as getting more potassium and less sodium from your diet. Eating more vegetables can help you achieve...
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, one in four Americans have high blood pressure. It is a disease that many persons have and are not aware they have. Therefore it is important that those at risk get screened and treated if...
Blood pressure is a measurement of the strain your blood flow places on your arteries during both the active, or systolic phase, and the resting, or diastolic phase, of your heartbeat. When you exercise, your systolic blood pressure can rise...
Among the dozens of high-sodium foods, only fresh shellfish come by their dietary sodium naturally. The rest of those with at least a 20 percent daily value of sodium -- 460 milligrams or more per serving -- get their sodium from salt, or sodium...
Blood pressure measurements indicate the systolic blood pressure when the heart is pumping blood and the diastolic pressure when the heart is resting between beats. If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it means your systolic blood...
The statistics for extreme or morbid obesity are concerning, with the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealing that 5.7 percent of the adult Americans population is morbidly obese. A person with a body mass index of 40...
Whether you are teaching a group of students in an exercise class or a general health class, knowing about blood pressure will allow them to live healthier lives. You can teach what numbers in a blood pressure reading signify, what a normal blood...
If you have high blood pressure, or hypertension, you likely have very few symptoms related to this condition. Unfortunately, high blood pressure can damage your arteries without causing any symptoms that can be easily recognized. If you are at...
According to the American Heart Association, normal blood pressure is 120/80 or a little below. Blood pressure varies depending on stress, physical condition, medications, food and drink, activity, body position, and time of day. It is usually...
In a 2004 issue of the “Annals of Internal Medicine,” Dr. Tien Yin Wong states that 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure. It is the second leading cause of kidney disease after diabetes.
The body needs blood in order to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the organs and take waste products away. If the blood pressure is high, it can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. Blood vessel damage can lead to diseases of the...
Regular exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, can lower high blood pressure, or hypertension. Medical experts define hypertension as a relationship between the amount of blood your heart moves with each pump and the pressure that blood puts on...
Hypertension, commonly called high blood pressure, is a dangerous health condition that often shows no symptoms. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for serious health problems and traumas like a heart attack and stroke, so it's important...
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Lifestyle modifications, like maintaining ideal weight and not smoking, can prevent high blood pressure.
Caffeine, a drug classified as a stimulant, produces physiological effects in the body by stimulating the release of the neurochemicals norepinephrine and epinephrine. Released during times of stress, these chemicals increase the rate of muscle...
Blood pressure measures the force the blood places against the artery walls as it is pumped through the body. It is recorded as a fraction such as 120/80 mmHg, where the top number, or systolic, represents the pressure when the heart beats, and...
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a chronic health condition that can lead to many medical complications, but having high blood pressure does not directly make it more difficult to become pregnant. Hypertension itself does not affect a...
A hypertension diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but there are ways to combat this disease. Becoming proactive by eating well and following a heart healthy diet is often the first step to naturally reducing blood pressure. According to the Mayo...
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called the "silent killer." It often does not have any symptoms and may be detected during a routine doctor's examination. Normal blood pressure is any reading under 120/80. High blood pressure is a...
If you have high blood pressure and you've been diagnosed as iron deficient, the two conditions are probably not related to a single problem with your diet. Different dietary habits may cause iron shortages or excessive blood pressure. An...
High blood pressure is known as a silent killer because it has few early warning symptoms, but can lead to heart attacks, kidney failure and strokes. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected, and once you have received a diagnosis...
MayoClinic.com advises that dietary changes alone can drop blood pressure by 8 to 14 points. Several causes of hypertension, or high blood pressure, are uncontrollable, such as a family history of heart disease or advancing age. However, although...
About 50 percent of all Americans drink some form of coffee, according to the website E-Importz.com. In fact, the average American drinks 3.1 cups of coffee each day. Coffee, though obviously a very common drink, contains a drug -- caffeine. And...
Your blood pressure reading is an indication of the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels. The top number, which is the systolic reading, measures the force of blood at the instant your heart beats. The bottom number, or...
Your blood pressure is measured in two numbers that are listed as a fraction. The top number is the systolic, which represents when your heart beats. The bottom number is the diastolic and represents when the heart is at rest. Your blood pressure...
Since high blood pressure, also called hypertension, is such a dangerous diagnosis, most doctors are aggressive about prescribing medication to bring the patient's blood pressure down quickly. Some patients prefer more natural treatments using...
Adrenal gland cancers are rare cancers occurring in the endocrine tissue of the adrenal glands and are characterized by overproduction of adrenal gland hormones. Learn about the symptoms and treatment options in this video.
