One out of every four adults has high blood pressure, or hypertension. Untreated hypertension can lead to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Those that don’t seek medical attention are in danger of coronary heart disease.  Early detection and treatment could prevent many deaths.

It is important to be aware of the risk factors associated with high blood pressure

Risk factors include being overweight, lack of exercise, taking in large quantities of sodium and alcohol, high cholesterol, smoking, and heredity.

It is hard to detect high blood pressure outside of medical testing as very few people experience headaches, blurred vision, and dizziness. In many cases it is not until something happens that requires medical attention that high blood pressure is discovered. Routine health checks should include blood pressure screening. However, if you feel you are at a higher risk for hypertension or experience any of these symptoms you should have your blood pressure checked. Many pharmacies carry self monitoring equipment and free screenings are often offered through churches, hospitals, fire stations, and clinics.

If you have high blood pressure, there are many treatment options available. Simple yet effective changes in your lifestyle will reduce and help control your blood pressure. Maintain a desirable weight or lose weight to reach a safe goal set by your doctor. Commit to a healthy diet designed with low-sodium, low-cholesterol alternatives and limited alcohol. Along with a healthy diet, you should exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity. Finally, if you smoke, quit. In addition to lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe one of many common medications. These may include alpha-beta blockers, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-coverting enzyme blockers, and diuretics. Your doctor will be able to determine which treatment is right for you.

Cholesterol is bad for your body, especially when the body consumes large amounts.  We do need to take in a certain amount of cholesterol for overall health and for optimal body functioning, however.  No matter how much we are cognizant of what we take in, high cholesterol can occur regardless.

It is estimated that about half of all American adults have total cholesterol levels over 200 mg/dL and of these, 25% have unhealthy levels.  Among the middle aged and older, total cholesterol levels have been declining over the last several decades.  This is due to the increased use of statins and other lipid-lowering medications.  The converse is true among young adults.  Younger adults between 25 and 34 are experiencing higher cholesterol levels.  One major attributer is the Western lifestyle, which consists of a high-fat/low-fiber American diet coupled with sedentary habits.

Risks are also broken down by gender.  For men, heart disease is the major cause of death in men.  Men develop coronary artery disease ten to fifteen years earlier than women do and have a greater risk for dying of heart disease at a younger age.  For women, the leading cause of death is coronary artery disease.  Women ages twenty to thirty-four, and those beyond menopause (around age 55), have higher cholesterol levels than men. Some evidence suggests that lower HDL levels may be a more significant risk in women than in men, especially when combined with high-triglyceride levels.

Children and young adolescents may also be at risk for having high cholesterol.  Children who have abnormal cholesterol levels are at increased risk of developing heart disease later in life. When children are young, however, it is difficult to distinguish “normal” cholesterol levels because of the changes in cholesterol levels occur between the ages of 8 – 18, and because of the variation between genders and population groups. Cholesterol levels tend to naturally rise sharply until puberty, decrease sharply, and then rise again.

In addition, children who are overweight are at higher risk for high triglycerides and low HDL, which may be directly related to later unhealthy cholesterol levels. Cardiovascular risk during adulthood can be attributed to childhood LDL levels and body-mass index.  It is suggested that overweight and obese children who have high cholesterol should also get tested for high blood pressure, diabetes, and other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.

The primary source of unhealthy cholesterol levels in children comes from diets high in unhealthy fats: Saturated fats (found mainly in animal and dairy products) and trans fatty acids (found in commercial food products).

The strongest evidence of unhealthy cholesterol levels and heart disease is in adults over age 45. However, while total cholesterol levels are decreasing among older adults, they are increasing in those ages 25 – 34 years. Research strongly suggests that the younger a person is when unhealthy cholesterol levels develop, the greater the chance for serious heart and blood vessel problems in the future. Young men without cholesterol problems have been found to have a higher life expectancy, by up to 8 years. Other studies have suggested similar risks from unhealthy cholesterol in young women as well.

It is estimated that about 85% of people who die from coronary artery disease are over the age of 65. Because high cholesterol is an important risk factor for heart disease, experts strongly recommend statin or other lipid-lowering therapy for elderly people with high cholesterol levels. Surveys indicate that total cholesterol levels have been declining in older people over the last few decades. Many experts believe this is due in part to increased use of statin drugs.