Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disability and death. It greatly increases a person's risk of heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. In addition, according to most estimates, the ineffective treatment of hypertension is currently costing this nation billions of dollars annually.
Hypertension is an increase in blood pressure above the normal level.
Between 40 and 60 million adults in the United States have hypertension. It is more common among African Americans and persons of lower socioeconomic backgrounds than among other Americans. Although the cause of essential hypertension is unknown, heredity and environmental factors, such as high salt intake, may be important. Currently, the main problem in treating hypertension is the inability to match a particular treatment to a particular patient. This problem results from lack of knowledge about the specific defects that cause hypertension.