High blood pressure (hypertension) is an extremely serious and growing problem that now affects in excess of 72 million adult Americans. It almost seems unbelievable but this means that 1 out of 3 adults in America are suffering from hypertension. With nearly 60 million Americans now over 55 years of age this also means that Americans have a 9 out of 10 chance of developing hypertension at some time in life. Also, if you are an African American then you are far more likely to develop hypertension than any other ethnic group and are lokely to suffer from hypertension at an earlier age and to a greater degree.

But this is not the end of the story as there are now in the region of 20 million Americans suffering from diabetes and an unbelievable 142 million Americans who are overweight or obese and people in both of these categories are at an increased risk of developing hypertension.

So just why should we be so concerned about hypertension?

High blood pressure is an extremely serious condition that can easily lead to other life-threatening conditions like heart disease, which is the principle cause of death in America today, and stroke, which is presently the third highest cause of death. Indeed hypertension is a contributory factor in 2 out of 3 heart attacks in the US and in 3 out of 4 strokes.

High blood pressure is also the chief reason for visits to the physician and even a modest decline in the number of visits of around 10 percent could save something like $450 million dollars every year. Altogether it is believed that the cost of treating hypertension and its associated complications costs the American economy about $100 billion a year.

Okay, so what is the answer to the problem?

First and foremost, the answer lies in educating people about the problem of hypertension and how to avoid developing it in the first place. The vast majority of sufferers nowadays effectively cause the condition themselves as a result of their lifestyle. Bad eating habits, a lack of exercise, too much drinking and tobacco are all causes of high blood pressure and are all completely within our own control.

Second, we must get people into the habit of checking their blood pressure on a regular basis as it is unfortunately a condition with few if any symptoms to warn us of its approach. Today there are several excellent and relatively inexpensive blood pressure monitors (including a number of Omron blood pressure monitors which have a world-wide reputation for excellence) that are fast and easy to use and can literally save your life.