Hypertension – Part 1

Hypertension is an important condition from both a physiological and personal standpoint. While it may be loosely defined as high blood pressure, the impact of this condition warrants much closer scrutiny. Current estimates place almost one third of the United States population as hypertensive. In fact, hypertension (HT) has been referred to as the “…most prevalent chronic condition among older adults”. An important realization early on is that the exact cause of HT remains unknown. All of the current therapies available, whether dietary, supplemental, or pharmacologic are designed for symptomatic control of the primary symptom of HT, high arterial blood pressure. This is an interesting consequence as we are treating the symptom instead of the root cause of the disease.