Hypertension

Introduction

Hypertension is referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. It can be classified as essential (also known as primary) or secondary. In the former case, there is no specific medical problem which can account for the elevated blood pressure.

The latter is a result of a known condition such as a kidney disease or tumor. If the hypertension persists, the person could have strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm, and it is also the leading cause of chronic renal failure (Guyton & Hall, n.d).

What causes it?

There are no formal causes for hypertension, but several contributing factors have been accounted for it. Obesity is the first of those, as obese people are at 5 times or more at risk to develop hypertension. Another reason is Sodium Sensitivity, a condition in which the body releases more salt to the bloodstream, which in turn releases more water to it, causing the blood vessels' pressure to be greater. An enzyme called Renin also has a part in the creation of hypertension.

It causes an increase in another enzyme, which in turn brings to the elevation of another enzyme, and it ultimately results in more sodium and an elevated high blood pressure. Insulin resistance has also been proposed as a contributing factor, and nowadays most experts agree about it.

An under-recognized factor is sleep apnea. Genetics has also been proven to be related, with about 30% genetic heritability detected.  Age, of course, is also a factor, since adults and elderly people tend to have their arteries stiffer. Finally, food consumption also affects this- but only when eating a specific kind of candy, liquorice. This can lead to a surge of high blood pressure (Hypertension Etiology", 2006).