Hypertension Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hypertension
Synonyms	Arterial hypertension, high blood pressure

Automated arm blood pressure meter showing arterial hypertension (shown a systolic blood pressure 158 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure 99 mmHg and heart rate of 80 beats per minute)
Symptoms	None
Complications	Coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease, dementia
Causes	Usually lifestyle and genetic factors
Risk factors	Excess salt, excess body weight, smoking, alcohol
Diagnostic method	Resting blood pressure 130/80 or 140/90 mmHg
Treatment	Lifestyle changes, medications
Frequency	16–37% globally
Deaths	9.4 million / 18% (2010)

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is higher than it should be. This requires the heart to work harder than normal to circulate blood through the blood vessels.

Blood pressure
Types of hypertension
Problems caused by hypertension
Treatment
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Blood pressure

The pressure in the arteries changes depending on what the heart is doing. When the heart squeezes, pumping blood into the arteries, the pressure increases. When the heart relaxes, the pressure decreases. When blood pressure is measured, the highest pressure (when the heart is squeezing) is called the systolic blood pressure. The lowest pressure (when the heart is relaxing) is called the diastolic blood pressure.

Blood pressure is written as two numbers. For example, in the picture at the right, the person's systolic blood pressure was 158. Their diastolic blood pressure was 99. This blood pressure is written as 158/99. It is said "158 over 99."

Types of hypertension

There are two types of hypertension, called “primary” and “secondary.” Primary hypertension means that the hypertension is not caused by any other disease. Secondary hypertension means that the hypertension is caused by another disease. In most cases (90-95%), hypertension is primary. Only a small amount of hypertension (5-10%) is secondary.

Problems caused by hypertension

Hypertension can cause many problems, including heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney failure. To stay healthy, most people should try to keep their blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.

Treatment

Lifestyle changes

Hypertension can often be fixed with changes in diet or lifestyle. The 2004 British Hypertension Society suggests that people with high blood pressure:

Lose weight if they are overweight or obese
Exercise regularly
Decrease the amount of salt they eat
Limit the amount of alcohol they drink
Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables

Medicine

If lifestyle changes do not decrease a person's blood pressure, then the person may need medications. A doctor will choose which medications to use, based on what other medical problems the person has. Examples of medications that decrease blood pressure include:

Diuretics, which increase urination to get rid of extra fluid
Beta blockers, which slow down the heart rate
ACE inhibitors, which relax the arteries

Effectiveness

Even small decreases in blood pressure can have a large effect on a person's health. For example, decreasing blood pressure by 5 mmHg (for example, from 150/100 to 145/95 mmHg) can decrease the risk of stroke by 34%. It can also decrease the risk of heart disease by 21%.

Images for kids

Determinants of mean arterial pressure
Rates of hypertension in adult men in 2014.
Image of veins from Harvey's Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus
Graph showing, prevalence of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension compared between the four studies of NHANES

Hypertension facts for kids

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