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High Blood Pressure or Hypertension is the
most common chronic illness in America. The American Heart
Association estimates that more than 62 million Americans over
the age of six suffer from high blood pressure, and that only a
minority of these people have their blood pressure under
control. Many don't know they have hypertension, and go
untreated, since you can have the disease for years before any
symptoms develop. And, because you can be symptom-free, many
people think high blood pressure is harmless.
Nothing, in fact, could be further from
the truth! Left untreated, hypertension can lead to stroke,
heart attack, kidney damage, congestive heart failure, and
death.
Uncontrolled mild-to-moderate hypertension
will reduce the life expectancy of a typical 35-year-old person
by 16 years. Even the mildest form of high blood pressure,
"borderline hypertension," can cut your life span by two to
four years.
The good news is that more Americans each
year are being diagnosed earlier--in routine physicals,
workplace screening programs, and health education
classes.
Because of extensive research, high blood
pressure is actually one of the easiest diseases to diagnose.
Breakthroughs in drug treatment have saved millions of
lives.
Next:
What Is Blood Pressure?
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