The Hypertension Condition Analysis Essay

Introduction

Hypertension is a medical condition that affects both adults and young people. The disorder results when an individual’s blood pressure exceeds the expected level of 120/80 mmHg (“Clinical preventive services,” 2022). About half of the American adults live with the illness. Nonetheless, only one in four U.S. adults knows that they suffer from the condition (“Facts about hypertension,” 2021). The present paper discusses the aspects of hypertension current facts and provides interventions that be used to prevent or cure the condition.

Prominent Aspects

Hypertension is a direct cause of many deaths occurring in the U.S. each year. The disease results when the blood pressure in the arteries becomes severe on the vessels’ walls to the point of causing health problems such as heart attack (“Facts about hypertension,” 2021). A standard measure of hypertension uses the amount of blood flowing against the size of arteries. For example, high blood pressure occurs when a patient’s heart pumps blood at a pressure that is beyond the artery walls’ strength. A healthy person’s blood pressure keeps on changing with time. However, the issue raises concerns and thus becomes an illness when the blood pressure in the vessels remains high, demanding medication to regain its normal level (“Facts about hypertension,” 2021). Headaches, nosebleeds, and shortness of breath are non-specific symptoms exhibited by a few people suffering from severe high blood pressure.

Current Statistics Related To Hypertension

Hypertension is a severe health issue in the U.S. and developing economies worldwide. The condition has at least three stages based on its severity. Stage 1 hypertension arises when blood pressure is above 120/80 mmHG, while stage 2 hypertension is blood pressure at or above 140/90 mmHg (“Facts about hypertension,” 2021). High blood pressure-related conditions caused more than five hundred thousand deaths in the U.S. in 2019 (“Facts about hypertension,” 2021). Furthermore, forty-seven percent of American adult citizens have stage 1 hypertension, with only one percent of the infected persons having the ailment under control (“Facts about hypertension,” 2021). High blood pressure prevalence is also common among non-Hispanic whites, Asians, and Hispanic adults (“Clinical preventive services,” 2022). High blood pressure medication usage is high among Hispanic men compared to the other groups.

Health Disparities Related To Hypertension

Hypertension prevalence is never standard across the states in the U.S. The nation’s south-eastern region exhibits higher blood pressure rates than the northern and western sections. The disparity arises mainly from the racial composition, with the non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites dominating the areas with high levels of hypertension (Ogunniyi et al., 2021). Adults operating families with low-income exhibit more hypertension risk than those receiving better pay (Ogunniyi et al., 2021). Other terminal conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and disability also imply an amplified likelihood of hypertension in the U.S. (Ogunniyi et al., 2021). Nonetheless, minority men aged between eighteen and forty-four, with healthy body weight, have lower chances of hypertension even when they lack medical cover (Ogunniyi et al., 2021). The situation implies a meaningful connection between high blood pressure and humans’ lifestyle.

Prevention Strategies

Lifestyle approaches form the best complementary therapies to control and avoid hypertension among Americans. Avoiding substances with high sodium salts, such as processed food products, is recommended to keep the disorder in check. Undertaking adequate physical exercise and regulating alcohol intake also helps the body maintain a healthy weight, preventing high blood pressure risk. Other alternative approaches include following dietary advice and attending clinics for regular health checkups (Kohl-Heckl et al., 2022). Hypertension is a disorder that lacks clear signs, and thus visiting the hospital for routine checks while implementing the other alternative therapies is recommended.

Contemporary Research and Clinical Studies

Hypertension’s severity pushes many medical researchers to investigate the condition to offer better understanding and intervention tactics. For example, Guirguis-Blake et al.’s (2021) findings show that at least two screenings a year helps to reduce severe hypertension cases in a setting by over eighty percent. Moreover, Kitt et al. (2019) determine telemonitoring and A.I. technology as essential technological interventions that can boost high blood pressure management among special groups such as the elderly. The studies play a central role by helping medics and healthcare specialists learn new approaches to averting the costly condition.

An Analysis of the Pathophysiologic Effects of Stress

Stressful moments affect the human body in different ways that can cause other severe conditions. For example, stress leads to the production of vasoconstricting hormones in the heart, which trigger the organ to pump blood faster (Kivimäki & Steptoe, 2018). The hormones also cause the thickening of blood vessels to facilitate more rapid delivery of nutrients and minerals to the body cells for the fight or flight reaction. The rise in blood pressure due to stress significantly implies a connection between the two conditions.

Evidence-Based Stress Management Interventions

Applying stress management tactics is crucial for persons with hypertension to live a healthy life. Physical exercise, yoga, and meditation are evidence-based stress management methods that people can adopt. Physical exercise helps the body utilize the excess energy released by the body in response to stress without causing internal harm. Yoga and meditation further help the braid focus and disregard the hurting situation (Solano, 2018). The tactics help stabilize the heart and ensure that blood pressure remains in healthy conditions.

Conclusion

Hypertension is a natural health problem that affects about half of American adults. The condition results when the heart pumps blood at a higher pressure than normal. The standards blood pressure of a healthy adult is 120/80 mmHg. Any persistent blood pressure reading beyond this level indicates hypertension. A blood pressure reading of 140 mmHg implies severe hypertension. The disorder has no implicit signs and symptoms, making its management tricky.

References

Clinical preventive services. (2022). Web.

Facts about hypertension (2021). Web.

Guirguis-Blake, J. M., Evans, C. V., Webber, E. M., Coppola, E. L., Perdue, L. A., & Weyrich, M. S. (2021). Screening for hypertension in adults: Updated evidence report and systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA, 325(16), 1657-1669. Web.

Kitt, J., Fox, R., Tucker, K. L., & McManus, R. J. (2019). New approaches in hypertension management: A review of current and developing technologies and their potential impact on hypertension care.Current Hypertension Reports, 21(6), 44. Web.

Kivimäki, M., & Steptoe, A. (2018). Effects of stress on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 15(4), 215-229. Web.

Kohl-Heckl, W. K., Schröter, M., & Cramer, H. (2022). Complementary medicine use in U.S. adults with hypertension: A nationally representative survey.Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 102812. Web.

Ogunniyi, M. O., Commodore-Mensah, Y., & Ferdinand, K. C. (2021). Race, ethnicity, hypertension, and heart disease: Jacc focus seminar 1/9.Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 78(24), 2460-2470. Web.

Solano, A. L. (2018). Effectiveness of the mindfulness‐based stress reduction program on blood pressure: A systematic review of literature. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 15(5), 344-352. Web.