One out of the four of you in this classroom will have it. It affects 50 million Americans and nearly half are women. There are no symptoms to this disease. Many people have it for years without knowing it. This is why high blood pressure is also called the "silent killer." Uncontrollable high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. As a 3rd level nursing student I have had firsthand experience with patients who have high blood pressure also known as hypertension. Today I would like to talk about what is high blood pressure, risk factors, prevention, and disease progression. Let's start with the definition of high blood pressure also known as hypertension.
             While you are sitting in your seats you are probably wondering if you are at risk for high blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, if you're an adult and your blood pressure is higher than 140/90, you have high blood pressure and are at risk for heart disease, stroke, and other medical problems. Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). High blood pressure can occur in children and adults, but more commonly in people over 35. One single reading doesn't mean you have high blood pressure, but it's a sign that you should watch it carefully.
             Now let's talk about 2 categories of risk factors, controllable and uncontrollable. Controllable risk factors are those that increase your chances of developing high blood pressure, but you have the ability to modify them. First is being overweight. Second is too much salt intake. Third is drinking too much alcohol. Fourth is lack of exercise. Fifth is smoking. Sixth applies to women and is birth control pills. And lastly is stress. The first five factors mainly deal with having an overall healthy lifestyle. By eating fatty foods an...