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Hypertension is a disease that is common in the United States. It is when you have consistently high blood pressure. Hypertension is a silent disease meaning the symptoms often go unnoticed. If it remains untreated, it could lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. It is important to consistently check your blood pressure before it is too late.
50 million Americans (One out of four adults) have hypertension. It is important that you check your blood pressure regularly, especially if you have the following risk factors.
* Do you have a history of high blood pressure in your family? Ask your family if they have high blood pressure. A good sign that hypertension runs in your family is if anyone in your family has suffered from a stroke.
* Do you diet frequently? People who diet increase their chance of hypertension.
* How old are you? The older we get the higher our chance of obtaining hypertension. Check your blood pressure regularly over the age of 45.
* Do you eat a lot of salt? Some of us are sensitive to the chemicals in salt. This results in blood pressure being raised. It is hard to determine who is and isn't sodium sensitive.
* Do you consume more than two alcoholic beverages per day? For women one alcoholic beverage per day. The more you drink the higher your blood pressure will be.
* Are you African American? African Americans have a higher risk of getting hypertension.
If you are at risk of high blood pressure, you should have your blood pressure checked at least every two years. If you have blood pressure that is high, you should have it checked more often, consult your doctor for details.
Once you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is not a death sentence. You can control it through medication and lifestyle modifications.
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