High Blood Pressure

What is it?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that affects many people. Untreated, it can raise your risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and kidney problems. Many people don't know they have high blood pressure because it usually doesn't cause symptoms. If lifestyle changes aren't enough, more than 50 prescription drugs can treat high blood pressure. Most of them fall into one of the following categories: diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, alpha-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or beta-blockers. Although each group of drugs works in a different way, all are effective in lowering blood pressure. Some of the newer medications used to treat high blood pressure are actually combinations of these categories.

Your doctor will consider your medical history, current health, age, race, and the severity of your hypertension when choosing a medication that's right for you. Beta-blockers, such as atenolol (brand name Tenormin), and diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril), are often the first choice for people newly diagnosed with hypertension. ACE inhibitors, such as lisinopril (Zestril), may be especially helpful for people who have diabetes. Likewise, beta-blockers may help people who've had a heart attack in the past. You may need to try several medications before you find the one that works best for you. Or you may need to use a combination of these medications to control your high blood pressure. Always talk to your doctor about which medication is best for you.

What causes high blood pressure?

In as many as 95% of reported high blood pressure cases in the U.S., the underlying cause cannot be determined. This type of high blood pressure is called essential hypertension.

Though essential hypertension remains somewhat mysterious, it has been linked to certain risk factors. High blood pressure tends to run in families and is more likely to affect men than women. Age and race also play a role. In the U.S., blacks are twice as likely as whites to have high blood pressure, although the gap begins to narrow around age 44. After age 65, black women have the highest incidence of high blood pressure.

Essential hypertension is also greatly influenced by diet and lifestyle. The link between salt and high blood pressure is especially compelling. People living on the northern islands of Japan eat more salt per capita than anyone else in the world and have the highest incidence of essential hypertension. By contrast, people who add no salt to their food show virtually no traces of essential hypertension.

Hypertension Medications

The following is a list of treatments and medications for High Blood Pressure

• ACE Inhibitors: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors widen or dilate your blood vessels to improve the amount of blood your heart pumps and lower blood pressure.
• Treatment With Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers: Angiotensin II receptor blockers decrease chemicals that narrow the blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily through your body, lowering blood pressure.
• Diuretics: Treatment for Hypertension:Diuretics, often called "water pills," help your body get rid of unneeded water and salt through the urine, which helps lower blood pressure.
• Beta-BlockersBeta-blockers block the affects of adrenaline in the heart. The result: the heart doesn't have to work as hard, which in turn lowers blood pressure.
• Calcium Channel BlockersCalcium channel blockers help to widen blood vessels and make it easier for the heart to pump.