What Causes High Blood Pressure Hypertension or high blood pressure is specific to the chronic medical condition which results in an unhealthy increase of blood pressure level. In general the word hypertension alone is more accurately descriptive of systemic, arterial hypertension. High blood pressure can be grouped as either essential/primary or secondary. In instances of essential or primary hypertension no medical cause can be ascertained to clearly explain the elevated blood pressure levels. It is far more prevalent than the secondary type of high blood pressure. An estimated 90-95% of persons affected by high blood pressure fall within the category of essential hypertension. Secondary hypertension is indicative of high blood pressure that manifests because of another associated condition including: kidney disease or tumours which may be adrenal adenoma or pheochromocytoma. Uncontrolled high blood pressure level is 1 of the known risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm, and is also a leaidng cause of chronic renal failure. In fact, 1's life expectancy is significantly shortened in cases of a moderate rise in arterial blood pressure. When the blood pressure is detrimentally high, seen when arterial pressure rises to 50% or more above average, a person may have only a few years left to live if the condition is left unchecked. A regular blood pressure level is below 120/80; blood pressure that falls within 120/80 and 139/89 is deemed "pre-hypertension", and a blood pressure level of 140/90 or above is demonstrative of high blood pressure. Hypertension is 1 of the most widespread complex conditions. The etiology of hypertension displays major differences on an individual level when observing a substantial sample of any given population. Essential or primary hypertension is the form of hypertension, as mentioned previously, that has no identifiable cause. It affects 90-95% of hypertensive patients, and despite there being no direct cause, there are many risk factors that can elevate a person's risk of developing this form of hypertension. These include: â€A sedentary lifestyle that does not include much exercise. â€Obesity. It has been observed that more than 85% of cases occur in individuals with a body mass index greater than 25. â€Excessive salt intake. â€Excessive alcohol intake. â€Vitamin D deficiency. â€Smoking â€Increased age â€Possible inheritance of a mutated gene. â€A family history of the condition. For individuals who have family members who are affected by hypertension, their risk is noticeably higher. â€High elevations of Renin, an enzyme secreted by the kidneys. Secondary hypertension is different from primary hypertension as the underlying cause is identifiable. It is treated using different methods which in essence involves the treatment of the underlying condition. Underlying causes of secondary high blood pressure are inclusive of: Cushing's syndrome, adrenal cortical abnormalities, pregnancy, polycystic kidney disease and some medications including NSAIDs (Motrin/Ibuprofen) and steroids.
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