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Article: Stalking the silent killer: if you don't stop it, it will stop you ... dead: there are seldom symptoms. Medical professionals aren't altogether sure what causes it. Yet hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the world's greatest health problems. It's mysterious, evasive, and lethal.(Hypertension)(Disease/Disorder overview)
- Article from:
- Vibrant Life
- Article date:
- July 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Review and Herald Publishing Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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High blood pressure contributes significantly to death rates through stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure. Mass health screening has helped increase recognition of the problem; and wherever patients are adequately treated, death rates from the disease drop significantly.
But consider these statistics: only 50 percent of patients who have hypertension are on therapy of any kind. Of those, only 30 percent have their blood pressure controlled at ideal levels. Much work needs to be done in order to combat this "silent killer."
Diagnosis
Hypertension is not diagnosed on a single reading. Pressure values should be ...