Understand High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Did you know you may be one of the 30 percent of Americans who have hypertension? Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is a common problem that can affect your health in many ways. It affects people of all ages, even children.

Almost 20 percent of people who have hypertension don’t know they have it. And not knowing—or having uncontrolled hypertension—means you could have a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, as well as kidney disease and eye disease.

Hypertension is also a disease in its own right, responsible for more than 60,000 deaths every year. Because it is a serious condition that has few symptoms or warning signals, it is sometimes called the “silent killer.”

The good news is there are several steps you can take to prevent hypertension, or treat it. In addition to specific lifestyle changes and medications to lower your blood pressure, innovative new therapies such as renal denervation may also be appropriate for specific people with hypertension.