When your blood pressure is high, your heart is working harder than usual for a sustained period of time. Over time, this causes the heart muscle to enlarge and the arteries to become narrowed and hardened. High blood pressure also hastens the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. One high blood pressure reading does not constitute a diagnosis of hypertension.
Some genetic factors place an individual at greater risk for high blood pressure.
Hypertension is more prevalent in men than in women. African-Americans are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure than other races. People over 35 years of age and those who have a family history of hypertensive disease are also at increased risk for this disease . Since there are many different causes of hypertension, conventional medicine is the appropriate first step in the evaluation and treatment of this disease. If you should develop chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of balance, sudden changes in vision or speech, discoloration or sharp pains in the lower legs notify your physician immediately.