The Silent Killer

PART 1

Hypertension, the Silent Killer

Hypertension is called the “silent killer” because it often has no noticeable symptoms. Hypertension may go unnoticed over a period of years—until a serious medical condition appears, like heart disease, stroke, or kidney disease. High blood pressure can permanently damage your eyes, lungs, heart, and kidneys. Without treatment, fewer than 10% of people with malignant (highly elevated) hypertension survive for more than 1-2 years.

PART 2

What Is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of the circulating blood against the inner walls of your blood vessels. You can feel this force when you take your pulse: what you are feeling is the force of your blood surging through your arteries. Although blood surges through your blood vessels, there is always pressure exerted on their walls. The amount of pressure is determined by how much blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. READ MORE

PART 3

Hypertension Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 30% of adults aged 18 or older in the US have hypertension (about the same as the percentage for the rest of the developed world), and that percentage has remained stable over the last decade or so. African Americans have higher levels of hypertension (42%) than non-Hispanic whites (29%) and Mexican Americans (26%). READ MORE