Doctors and professors at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center are among the most respected in the nation in the field of medicine and research. Today The Avalanche-Journal carries the fifth in a monthly series of guest columns featuring articles written by members of the HSC professional community. This measurement, done with the common blood pressure cuff, has two components. The top number is the systolic component and is the pressure immediately following a heart squeeze. The bottom number is the diastolic number and it is the vessel pressure during relaxation of the heart.
Hypertension is one of the most common chronic health conditions in developed countries.
As many as 25 percent of all Americans and about 50 percent of those people aged 65 and older have it. All of us are at risk for this common disorder but those at higher risk include the elderly, African Americans, individuals who are overweight, smokers, sedentary individuals, and those who have a family history of hypertension. Although hypertension can rarely be cured, the good news is that it is easily treated and its effective control dramatically reduces the risk of death and disability that might otherwise result. Long-term hypertension causes progressive and usually irreversible damage to blood vessels and the heart. This so-called cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans and hypertension is its most common contributing factor.