Hypertension/Heart Medications

Hypertension/Heart medications. Hypertension is a common heart condition, which is defined by an elevated blood pressure. It is a chronic cardiovascular illness that affects 1.28 billion adults in the world. Hypertensive individuals often suffer from high blood pressure and are at major risk of other underlying conditions.

Blood pressure is the force exerted for the blood to flow and circulate against the arteries’ walls. A person becomes hypertensive when blood pressure increases dramatically. The more blood the heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher the blood pressure. Furthermore, blood pressure level is read in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which has two numbers: the systolic and diastolic pressure.

The top number, systolic pressure, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. Meanwhile, diastolic pressure, or the bottom number, measures the pressure in the arteries in between each heartbeat.

Diagnosis	Blood pressure level
Normal	Under 130/80 mmHg
Stage I Hypertension (mild)	130-139/OR diastolic between 80-89 mmHg
Stage II Hypertension (moderate)	140/90 mmHg or higher
Hypertensive	180/120 mmHg or higher

Most people with increased blood pressure do not manifest any signs during the onset of an impending hypertensive condition, even if their blood pressure levels can put them at major risks. On one hand, a few people report headaches, shortness of breath, and nosebleeds, but this is not until they have reached an alarming high blood pressure that could already be life-threatening.

If left untreated, hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack, peripheral vascular disease, kidney failure, eye damage, vascular dementia, and complications during pregnancy.