Sounds like the title of a new thriller only this one is for real. Hypertension or high blood pressure has been given the designation of the silent killer because it has no symptoms, no warning signs and most people afflicted don’t even know they have it. Getting scared yet, you should be? Consider about one in three adults is hypertensive. So, what exactly is hypertension anyway?
We all know that our hearts are essentially a pump that circulates blood throughout the body. Each time our heart beats the force pushes blood out into the arteries. These arteries are made of muscle and semi flexible tissue not unlike elastic that will stretch to accommodate the force of the pump. Blood pressure is simply the measurement of outward force on the arterial walls.