40% of participants in the most rural areas and

HYPERTENSION 29.4% in the most urban areas reported having

a hypertension diagnosis.

Management and treatment

Lifestyle adjustments are the standard, first-

line treatment for hypertension.

Regular physical exercise

Hypertension is another name for high blood

pressure. It can lead to severe health
complications and increase the risk of heart
disease, stroke, and sometimes death.

Blood pressure is the force that a person’s

blood exerts against the walls of their blood
vessels. This pressure depends on the
resistance of the blood vessels and how hard
the heart has to work.
Stress reduction
Hypertension is a primary risk factor for
cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart
attack, heart failure, and aneurysm. Keeping
blood pressure under control is vital for
preserving health and reducing the risk of
these dangerous conditions.

Medication

Hypertension rates in rural areas are more

than 10% higher than in most urban areas,
according to a CDC survey.

An analysis of data from the 2017 Behavioral

Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that
Diet
Eating more fruit and vegetables and less fat

Moderating alcohol consumption

Managing body weight

Reducing salt intake

Causes

The cause of hypertension is often not known.

In many cases, it is the result of an underlying
condition.
Primary hypertension can result from multiple Risk factors
factors, including:
A number of factors increase the risk of
 blood plasma volume hypertension.

 hormone activity in people who

 Age
manage blood volume and pressure
using medication  Ethnicity

 environmental factors  Alcohol and tobacco use

 Sex
Secondary hypertension has specific causes
 Existing health conditions
and is a complication of another health
problem.
Other risk factors include:

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a common

 sedentary lifestyle
cause of high blood pressure
 salt rich, high fat diet
Conditions that can lead to hypertension  low potassium intake
include:

Poorly managed stress and a family history of

 diabetes high blood pressure can also contribute to the
 kidney disease risk of developing hypertension.

 pheochromocytoma
Symptoms
 Cushing syndrome

 congenital adrenal hyperplasia A person with hypertension may not notice

any symptoms, and so people often call it the
 hyperthyroidism
silent killer. 
 hyperparathyroidism

 pregnancy It is vital to check blood pressure regularly.

 sleep apnea

 obesity
In rare and severe cases, high blood pressure Systolic Diastolic
(mmHg) (mmHg)
causes sweating, anxiety, sleeping problems,
and blushing. However, most people with Normal blood Less than Less than
pressure 120 80
hypertension will experience no symptoms at
all. Between
Less than
Elevated 120 and
80
129
If high blood pressure becomes a
Between
hypertensive crisis, a person may Stage 1 Between
130 and
hypertension 80 and 89
experience headaches and nosebleeds. 139

Stage 2 At least At least

Signs hypertension 140 90

Hypertensive
Over 180 Over 120
A sphygmomanometer, or blood pressure crisis
monitor, can help people keep track of their
blood pressure.
Medications

The type of medication your doctor prescribes

for high blood pressure depends on your
blood pressure measurements and overall
health. Two or more blood pressure drugs
often work better than one. Sometimes
finding the most effective medication or
combination of drugs is a matter of trial and
error.

A doctor’s visit is not always necessary for

blood pressure monitoring. Home blood
pressure monitors are available for purchase
online.
You should aim for a blood pressure your blood sugar goes up, it signals your
treatment goal of less than 130/80 mm Hg if: pancreas to release insulin.

 You're a healthy adult age 65 or

older

 You're a healthy adult younger

than age 65 with a 10% or higher
risk of developing cardiovascular
disease in the next 10 years

 You have chronic kidney disease,

diabetes or coronary artery
disease
Diabetes occurs when the body cannot
Medications used to treat high blood pressure produce enough insulin, a hormone that
include: regulates blood sugar (glucose). It can also
occur when the body cannot effectively use
 Diuretics.  the insulin it produces.
 Angiotensin-converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors. 
Some effects of diabetes include heart
 Angiotensin II receptor blockers disease, vision loss, and kidney injury. If blood
(ARBs).  sugar levels are not controlled, diabetes can

 Calcium channel blockers.  seriously damage other organs and systems in

the body over time.

DIABETES

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health

condition that affects how your body turns
food into energy. Most of the food you eat is
broken down into sugar (also called glucose)
and released into your bloodstream. When
 Treatment
There are two main types of diabetes:

Depending on what type of diabetes you have,

 Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed
blood sugar monitoring, insulin and oral
during childhood or young adulthood.
medications may play a role in your treatment.
It’s the result of an immune system
Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy
dysfunction.
weight and participating in regular activity
 Type 2 diabetes is often acquired also are important factors in managing
during later adulthood. It’s typically diabetes.

the result of poor diet, inactivity,

Treatments for all types of diabetes
obesity, and other lifestyle and
environmental factors. Healthy eating

Other types of diabetes include:

 gestational diabetes, which causes

elevated blood sugar in 3 to 8
percent of pregnant women in the
United States

 prediabetes, a condition defined by

higher-than-normal blood sugar levels
that lead to a very high risk of
developing type 2 diabetes in the near Physical activity
future
Treatments for type 1 and type 2 diabetes Oral or other medications.

Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves insulin

injections or the use of an insulin pump,
frequent blood sugar checks, and
carbohydrate counting. Treatment of type 2
diabetes primarily involves lifestyle changes,
monitoring of your blood sugar, along with
diabetes medications, insulin or both

Monitoring your blood sugar. HEART DISEASE

What is heart disease?

-The term “heart disease” refers to several

Insulin. types of heart conditions. The most common

type of heart disease in the United States is
coronary artery disease (CAD), which affects
the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood
flow can cause a heart attack.

What are the risk factors for heart disease?

-High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,

and smoking are key risk factors for heart
disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at
least one of these three risk factors.2 Several
other medical conditions and lifestyle choices such as shortness of breath, nausea and
can also put people at a higher risk for heart extreme fatigue.
disease, including
Signs and symptoms can include:
-Diabetes
-Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure
-Overweight and obesity and chest discomfort (angina)

-Unhealthy diet -Shortness of breath-Pain, numbness,

weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if
-Physical inactivity the blood vessels in those parts of your body
are narrowed
-Excessive alcohol use

-Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen

Symptoms:
or back

You might not be diagnosed with coronary

artery disease until you have a heart attack,
angina, stroke or heart failure. It's important
to watch for cardiovascular symptoms and
discuss concerns with your doctor.
Cardiovascular disease can sometimes be
found early with regular evaluations.

Heart disease symptoms caused by abnormal

Heart disease symptoms depend on what type
heartbeats (heart arrhythmias)
of heart disease you have.

-Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly

Symptoms of heart disease in your blood
or irregularly. Heart arrhythmia signs and
vessels:
symptoms can include:

-Coronary artery disease symptoms may be

 Fluttering in your chest
different for men and women. For instance,
men are more likely to have chest pain.  Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
Women are more likely to have other signs
and symptoms along with chest discomfort,  Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
  Chest pain or discomfort Seek emergency medical care if you have
these heart disease signs and symptoms:
 Shortness of breath
-Chest pain
 Dizziness
-Shortness of breath
Heart disease symptoms caused by heart
defects -Fainting

Serious heart defects that you're born with Heart disease is easier to treat when detected
(congenital heart defects)usually are noticed early, so talk to your doctor about your
soon after birth. Heart defect signs and concerns regarding your heart health. If you're
symptoms in children could include: concerned about developing heart disease,
talk to your doctor about steps you can take
-Pale gray or blue skin color (cyanosis) to reduce your heart disease risk. This is
especially important if you have a family
-Swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas
history of heart disease.
around the eyes
If you think you may have heart disease, based
-In an infant, shortness of breath during on new signs or symptoms you're having,
feedings, leading to poor weight gain make an appointment to see your doctor.

Depending on which valve isn't working

properly, valvular heart disease signs and
symptoms generally include:

-Fatigue

-Shortness of breath

-Irregular heartbeat

-Swollen feet or ankles

-Chest pain

When to see a doctor