Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly one in four adults in the UK.

It rarely makes a person feel ill. If it goes undetected and untreated it can lead to serious complications, including heart attack.

Over a third of people with hypertension are not being treated and their health is at risk.

What is hypertension?

Blood pressure is a measure of the force exerted by the blood flowing through the arteries - the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body.

A certain amount of pressure in the arteries is normal and necessary to get the blood to where it needs to go.

Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day, in particular, it increases during exercise and decreases during sleep.

However, if the pressure becomes consistently too high it is a health hazard.

Repeated episodes of high pressure can damage the arteries, causing them to thicken and become less elastic.

This, in turn, limits the flow of blood and may case permanently raised blood pressure.

How can I find out if I have high blood pressure?

All adults should have their blood pressure checked at least once every five years, but preferably more often.

This is especially true as you get older, as blood pressure goes up with age.

Blood pressure is measured using a cuff device, which is worn on the arm and can be inflated and deflated.

A blood pressure reading gives two measurements in millimetres of mercury or mmHg.

The first is called the systolic pressure, which is the force of the blood as the heart contracts to pump it around the body.

The second is called the diastolic pressure, which is the force while the heart is relaxing and filling with blood again in preparation for the next contraction.

A normal reading for an adult should generally be no higher than 140/85mmHg.

People with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, should aim for a blood pressure even lower than this - around 130/80mmHg or below.

Several readings should be taken over a period of time to get an accurate measurement as blood pressure can fluctuate and one high reading does not necessarily mean a person has hypertension.

What causes it?

In over 90% of cases there is no single underlying cause, but drinking too much alcohol, being overweight or obese, eating too much salt and not doing enough exercise all contribute.

High blood pressure can also run in families.

In a very small number of cases, a single cause can be found, such as kidney disease.

Some medications may also cause a rise in blood pressure.

How can it be treated?

There are many lifestyle changes a person can make to reduce their risk of hypertension or help lower their blood pressure if it is already high.

These include eating a healthier diet, doing more exercise and cutting down on salt and alcohol intakes.

Smoking is not a direct risk factor for high blood pressure, but it does increase the chance of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Within two years of stopping smoking a person's risk of a heart attack is halved.

Research suggests relaxation techniques, to help with stress, may be useful for some people in managing their blood pressure.

Medications are also available to help lower blood pressure, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics. Often people need to take more than one of these.

Why is it important to avoid high blood pressure?

If blood pressure remains high it can start to damage the blood vessels, which, in turn, can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart or kidney failure or eye damage.

If you have hypertension, reducing your blood pressure by 5mmHg can reduce your risk of having a heart attack by about 20%.