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Understanding High Blood Pressure

Understanding High Blood Pressure

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure—also called hypertension—it is OK if you feel frustrated or a little depressed. Just remember, you are not alone. More than 62 million US adults have blood pressure high enough to need treatment.3,4,5 But having hypertension doesn't mean you know you have it.6 In fact, only 63% of those with high blood pressure actually know they have it.6 So even though you may not feel happy about it, you are better off knowing you have high blood pressure. That way you can get the treatment you need.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

Let's start with your heart. Your heart works like a pump. It pumps the blood into your arteries with enough force to carry it through your body and back to your heart. Your blood pressure measures the force of your blood as it presses against your artery walls.7 Your blood pressure rises and falls during the course of the day, but when your blood pressure stays high over time, it is called hypertension.7,8

Primary Hypertension

Most people with hypertension—90% to 95%—have primary hypertension.8,9 That means that it is not caused by another disease. Healthcare professionals may also call primary hypertension by another name—essential hypertension.8,9

What causes primary hypertension? A number of things have been found to "cause" primary hypertension. Some of them are under your control, and some are not.

The ones that you can control include the following3,8:

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Eating too much salt
  • Eating too little fruits and vegetables
  • Getting too little exercise
  • Drinking too much alcohol

The ones you cannot control include the following:

  • Getting older3
  • A family history of high blood pressure8

Understanding Your Blood Pressure Reading

Your blood pressure consists of the following 2 different readings7:

  1. Your systolic blood pressure (SBP)—the blood pressure against your arteries when your heart is pumping (as the heart beats) over...
  2. Your diastolic blood pressure (DBP)—the blood pressure against your arteries between the beats

This reading is measured in millimeters of mercury, written as "mm Hg."7

In 2003, the doctors who were part of The Seventh Joint National Committee for Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (the JNC-7) defined the following categories for blood pressure3:

Classification of Blood Pressure for Adults
Blood Pressure Classification SBP mm Hg DBP mm Hg
Normal <120 and <80
Prehypertension 120-139 or 80-89
Stage 1 hypertension 140-159 or 90-99
Stage 2 hypertension >160 or >100
Source: JNC-7, 2004, p. 12

Treatment Recommendations for Your Stage

If you have stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension, the JNC-7 recommends that you make changes in your lifestyle and take medication to help control your blood pressure.3 Learn more about the medicines used in treating hypertension.

If you have prehypertension, the JNC-7 recommends exercising regularly and eating a healthier diet. The JNC-7 does not recommend medication for your condition, unless you also have other heart-related—also known as cardiovascular—risk factors. Find out about your cardiovascular risk factors.3

Why High Blood Pressure Is Called the Silent Killer

High blood pressure is a sneaky disease. Most people do not feel any symptoms for the first 15 or 20 years that they have it.8,10 But all that time, high blood pressure is silently causing damage.8

High blood pressure hurts you in the following ways:

  • Increased pressure on the artery walls can speed up the "hardening" of the arteries—called atherosclerosis—which can happen when you have high cholesterol.8 When that happens, your heart cannot get enough blood
  • Your heart has 2 ventricles that pump blood. High blood pressure can cause the wall of your left ventricle to thicken.8 Healthcare professionals call this left-ventricular hypertrophy. This can speed up the buildup of plaque in your heart vessels, also known as atherosclerosis
  • Hardening of the arteries and thickening of your left heart ventricle increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the future

More

Know Your Cardiovascular Risk

The Risk You Know Is the Risk You Can Reduce

It is a fact: 4 of 5 people with hypertension have other heart-related risk factors too.11 High blood pressure increases the risk of these factors—making your risk of having a heart attack or stroke even higher.8

But it does not have to be that way. You can reduce your heart-related risk—also known as your cardiovascular risk. But first you have to know what it is.

So for the loved ones in your life, and for yourself, take a minute now to learn about your cardiovascular risk.


The quotes presented on this Web site are representative and may not reflect actual patient experience.

Important Safety Information

Do not take ALTACE® during pregnancy, as death or injury to your unborn child may result. Do not take ALTACE® if you have experienced serious side effects related to previous ACE inhibitors.

Common side effects include persistent dry cough, dizziness, and light-headedness due to low blood pressure. Prescription ALTACE® is not for everyone. ALTACE® may cause swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat, which could cause extremely serious risk and requires immediate medical care. There have been rare reports of low blood sugar in patients taking ALTACE® with medicine for diabetes. Please contact your healthcare professional if you have symptoms of low blood sugar such as sweating or shakiness.

Do NOT take ALTACE® if you are allergic to ALTACE® or other ACE inhibitors.

If you experience side effects that you think may be associated with ALTACE®, talk to your healthcare professional. DO NOT discontinue taking prescribed medication without letting your healthcare professional know.

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