Understanding Blood Pressure

Description

If you are over the age of 30 and can't remember when you last had your blood pressure checked, you could be one of the 7 to 10 million people in this country who has high blood pressure. Doctors usually use the term 'hypertension' to describe this condition which may cause no symptoms at all for many years but could eventually lead to serious complications, including heart disease and strokes. The most important message on hypertension is that, unless you have your blood pressure checked, you may not know that you have hypertension until it has done you harm.

Contents

• Introduction
• What is blood pressure?
• Measuring your blood pressure
• What is hypertension and why does it matter?
• What causes hypertension?
• How hypertension is investigated
• Treatment without drugs
• Drug treatment
• Special cases
• Advances in hypertension research
• Questions & answers
• Joint British Societies Coronary Risk Prediction Charts
• Useful addresses

About the author

Professor D.G Beevers - is a Professor of Medicine and Consultant Physician to the City Hospital, Birmingham. He is past president of the British Hypertension Society and a founder of the Journal of Hypertension. his main interests are in clinical aspects of raised blood pressure and the importance of a population based approach

Dr Tony Smith - family Doctor Publications' Medical Editor-in-Chief was for many years Deputy Editor of the British Medical Journal and continues to work as an Assiciate Editor. He is the Medical Editor of both the Complete Family Health Encylopaedia and the Family Doctor Home Advisor