Just How Large a Problem is Secondary Hypertension?
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Donald Saunders asked:
Hypertension is the most diagnosed condition in the US today and it is now estimated that it affects around seventy-two million Americans, which includes one out of every three adults. However, when we talk about hypertension, did you know that there are actually two forms of hypertension?
Most suffer from what is officially known as essential or primary hypertension which normally has few, or no, symptoms and more often than not develops gradually over many years. A much smaller, but nonetheless very significant, number of individuals suffer from secondary hypertension which arises out of an underlying medical condition and can occasionally present with a very rapid onset.
There are various medical conditions which can produce secondary hypertension but listed below are some of the more commonly found causes:
Sleep Apnea. The continual interruption to your breathing caused by sleep apnea leads to oxygen deprivation which causes damage to the lining of your blood vessels and affects the elasticity necessary in these blood vessels to control blood pressure.
Thyroid Problems. Excessive or inadequate hormone production from the thyroid gland, experienced in conditions such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, can, either directly or indirectly, result in a rise in blood pressure.
Kidney Problems. Your kidneys are composed of literally millions of minute blood vessels and structures which are designed to filter waste products from your blood. When this process of filtering is upset, such as in the case of polycystic kidney disease or hydronephrosis, one consequence is secondary hypertension.
Obesity. An increase in weight is frequently accompanied by a rise in heart rate, as your heart is put under pressure to push a growing amount of blood around your body, and a consequently increased pressure on the walls of your arteries.
Dietary Supplements. A number of commonly available dietary supplements, such as ginseng and St John’s wort, are capable of producing hypertension.
Of course this list is not exhaustive and might also have included such items as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, preeclampsia, Cushing’s disease, diabetes and much more.
Hypertension, whether secondary or primary, is a serious medical problem which can result in the development of other life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease and kidney failure.
Heather
Hypertension is the most diagnosed condition in the US today and it is now estimated that it affects around seventy-two million Americans, which includes one out of every three adults. However, when we talk about hypertension, did you know that there are actually two forms of hypertension?
Most suffer from what is officially known as essential or primary hypertension which normally has few, or no, symptoms and more often than not develops gradually over many years. A much smaller, but nonetheless very significant, number of individuals suffer from secondary hypertension which arises out of an underlying medical condition and can occasionally present with a very rapid onset.
There are various medical conditions which can produce secondary hypertension but listed below are some of the more commonly found causes:
Sleep Apnea. The continual interruption to your breathing caused by sleep apnea leads to oxygen deprivation which causes damage to the lining of your blood vessels and affects the elasticity necessary in these blood vessels to control blood pressure.
Thyroid Problems. Excessive or inadequate hormone production from the thyroid gland, experienced in conditions such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, can, either directly or indirectly, result in a rise in blood pressure.
Kidney Problems. Your kidneys are composed of literally millions of minute blood vessels and structures which are designed to filter waste products from your blood. When this process of filtering is upset, such as in the case of polycystic kidney disease or hydronephrosis, one consequence is secondary hypertension.
Obesity. An increase in weight is frequently accompanied by a rise in heart rate, as your heart is put under pressure to push a growing amount of blood around your body, and a consequently increased pressure on the walls of your arteries.
Dietary Supplements. A number of commonly available dietary supplements, such as ginseng and St John’s wort, are capable of producing hypertension.
Of course this list is not exhaustive and might also have included such items as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, preeclampsia, Cushing’s disease, diabetes and much more.
Hypertension, whether secondary or primary, is a serious medical problem which can result in the development of other life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease and kidney failure.
Heather
