August 2014

According to the American Heart Association, 1 out of every 3 adults has high blood pressure, with statistics increasing with age.  Of those people, 75% are under treatment to manage the condition, while only 52% have it controlled, at least in the short term.  Men tend to have a higher prevalence of high blood pressure up through the age of 55, but at that time, the prevalence between men and women is equal. Women begin to show a higher tendency towards high blood pressure, surpassing men, starting at the age of 64.  Hypertension was listed as the primary cause of death in over 61,000 Americans in 2009, and listed as a contributing cause of death in over 348,000 in that same year.(1) Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of mortality with high cholesterol being a contributing factor.  Considering the rise in incidence and projections for the future, something must be done.