May is High Blood Pressure Education Month
Sponsored by the CDC, a US government health organization, National High Blood Pressure Education Month raises awareness about the impact high blood pressure can have on health.
Written as two figures, blood pressure is measured as the pressure when the heart has pumped (systolic) and when the heart is in between beats (diastolic). When the heart pumps blood, blood pressure is higher than when it is in between beats. The systolic measurement will be higher than the diastolic measurement.
Also know as hypertension, high blood pressure increases the risk of serious diseases and conditions such as heart disease and stroke. In the US, heart disease is the most common form of death whilst stroke is the third leading cause. Other risk factors of high blood pressure include congestive heart failure and kidney disease.
High blood pressure can have a huge impact on a persons life. During 2007, over 46 million people in the US visited a health care provider about this condition.
Overall, the incidence of high blood pressure is about the same in men and women. However, there are gender differences between age groups. In people under the age of 45, the incidence of high blood pressure is higher in men whilst in the over 65 year age category it is higher in women. There are also race differences; it is more common among African Americans than Caucasians and less likely to occur in Mexican-Americans.
In the US, approximately 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure, however most people are not aware they have this condition due to a lack of signs or symptoms.
