HYPERTENSION MANAGEMENT

Hypertension / High blood pressure

Hypertension is high blood pressure; if uncontrolled, it can lead to complications such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart attack and stroke. It is one of the leading causes of Chronic CKD and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in the United States along with diabetes.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it can eventually lead to health problems such as heart disease.

Blood pressure is determined by together the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood inflow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure. Blood pressure measurement is given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). It has two figures.

Top number (systolic pressure). The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.
Nethermost number (diastolic pressure). The alternate, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats.