Targeting high blood pressure in young men

Men are experiencing high blood pressure from a younger age, but are less likely to seek medical assistance. The increase in incidence in hypertension at a younger age is due to lifestyle factors, including smoking, obesity, low physical activity, and excessive intake of alcohol and/or salt. Syndrome X (metabolic syndrome) is becoming more predominant as a causative agent with family history is becoming less prominent as a risk factor. The syndrome includes obesity, high blood pressure, insulin insensitivity, reflux disease, and sleep apnea. If hypertension goes untreated for a prolonged period, the pressure on the blood vessels can cause irreversible damage to the kidney, heart and brain, ultimately resulting in an early death. Other risks of high blood pressure include erectile dysfunction. Normal blood pressure is quoted to be 120/80, with hypertension defined as any pressure above either number of 140/90 (or 130/80 for diabetic patients, or those with kidney disease). Recommendations to decrease the risk of high blood pressure is through lifestyle changes, i.e. smoking cessation, losing weight, healthy eating of small meals, increasing exercise, cutting out salt and alcohol intake, and decreasing stress. Medication is only considered second line of treatment in young men.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by WebMD Medical News

Related Disease Topics:

• High blood pressure
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Syndrome X
• Metabolic syndrome
• Insulin insensitivity
• Reflux disease
• Sleep apnea
• Kidney damage
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Erectile dysfunction

Article Source Details

About: Targeting high blood pressure in young men

Date: 30 May 2005

Source: WebMD Medical News

Author: Leanna Skarnulis

URL: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/106/108284.htm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of early death
• Cause of syndrome X
• Cause of metabolic syndrome
• Death from kidney disease
• Death from heart disease
• Death from stroke
• Death from syndrome X
• Death from metabolic syndrome
• Death from hypertension
• Death from smoking
• Death from obesity
• Death from insulin insensitivity
• Death from reflux disease
• Death from sleep apnea
• Diagnosis and kidney disease
• Diagnosis and heart disease
• Diagnosis and stroke
• Diagnosis and syndrome X
• Diagnosis and metabolic syndrome
• Diagnosis and hypertension
• Diagnosis and smoking
• Diagnosis and obesity
• Diagnosis and insulin insensitivity
• Diagnosis and reflux disease
• Diagnosis and sleep apnea
• Diagnosis and erectile dysfunction
• Medication and hypertension
• Exercise
• Diet
• Salt
• Alcohol

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