How To Tackle The Problem Of Hypertension In America Today
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a very serious and increasing problem which now affects in excess of 72 million American adults. It almost seems unbelievable but that means that 1 in 3 adults in the USA suffer from hypertension. With nearly 60 million Americans over the age of 55 this also means that Americans have a 9 in 10 chance of developing high blood pressure at some point in life. Additionally, if you happen to be an African American then you are far more likely to develop high blood pressure than other ethnic groups and are lokely to experience high blood pressure at an earlier age and to a greater degree.
However that is far from the end of the story as there are now some 20 million Americans suffering from diabetes and an incredible 142 million Americans who are overweight or obese and individuals in both of these groups are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure.
But why should we be so worried about developing high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is an extremely serious condition which can very easily lead to other life-threatening conditions like heart disease, which is the chief cause of death in the USA today, and stroke, which is at present the number three cause of death. In fact high blood pressure is a factor in two thirds of all heart attacks in the United States and in 3 out of 4 strokes.
High blood pressure is also the leading reason for visits to the doctor and even a quite small drop in the number of visits of say ten percent would save something like $450 million dollars every year. Altogether it is believed that the cost of treating high blood pressure and its complications costs the American economy about $100 billion every year.
So just what is the answer to the problem?
To start, the answer lies in educating people about the problem of high blood pressure and how to avoid developing it in the first place. The majority of of those affected nowadays effectively cause the condition themselves because of their lifestyle. Bad eating habits, insufficient exercise, excessive drinking and smoking are all causes of high blood pressure and are all totally within our own control.
Second, we must get people used to checking their own blood pressure regularly as it is unfortunately a condition with very few if any symptoms to warn us of its approach. Today there are several excellent and relatively inexpensive blood pressure monitors (including several Omron blood pressure monitors which have a world-wide reputation for excellence) which are fast and easy to use and could literally save your life.