Today we can diagnose and treat hypertension fairly easily. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans with the condition continue to go untreated. Possibly because many doctors do not take hypertension seriously as a health threat, this is true even for those who are diagnosed. If you look at it in dollars and cents, the fight against hypertension seems impressive. Despite this expense, however, most Americans who are hypertensive 3 either go untreated or do not get the most effective treatment available.
Blood pressure is measured by two numbers, which are written on top of each other.
Hypertension is usually defined as either a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or more or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or more. Under this definition, more than 50 million people in the U.S., or nearly one in four adults, are afflicted with hypertension. And as the large Baby Boom generation ages, these numbers will only get worse. That is because, as we get older, we become more and more susceptible to high blood pressure. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between how high your blood pressure is and your risk of stroke.