Essential hypertension

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Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

Essential hypertension

Alternative Names

Hypertension - essential

Prevention

Prevention is based upon lifestyle changes that include:

Weight loss, if you are overweight. Excess weight adds to heart strain. In some cases, weight loss may be the only treatment needed to lower your blood pressure.
Exercise to improve cardiac fitness.
Dietary adjustments to lower fat and modify sodium in your diet. Salt, MSG, and baking soda all contain sodium.

References

US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for High Blood Pressure. Rockville, MD: National Press Office; March 6, 2007. Release P07-38.

Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7). Rockville, Md. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Department of Health and Human Services; August 2004. National Institutes of Health Publication No. 04-5230.

Whelton PK, He J, Appel LJ, et al. Primary prevention of hypertension: Clinical and public health advisory from The National High Blood Pressure Education Program. JAMA. 2002;288(15):1882-8.


Monitoring blood pressure


Untreated hypertension


Lifestyle changes


Hypertension

Review Date: 6/4/2007
Reviewed By: Larry A. Weinrauch, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease,Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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