HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: WHERE IT ALL STARTED?

There are two forms of high blood pressure and these are the essential hypertension and the secondary hypertension. The essential hypertension is the more common condition and blamed for almost 95% of hypertension. Aside from that, the cause of essential hypertension is multifactor since there are several factors which when combined produce hypertension. The secondary form of hypertension is accounted for only 5% of hypertension cases since it caused a particular abnormality in one of the organs or systems of the body.
In addition, essential hypertension was known to affect about 75 million Americans; however, its origin is still unknown. Moreover, there some certain associations that have been recognized especially in people with hypertension like essential hypertension develops only in groups or societies that have fairly high intake of salt which is exceeding the normal 5.8 supposedly daily intake of salt. Furthermore, there have been findings that prove the salt intake of a person plays an important factor in reference to essential hypertension in many situations. And also, the excess in salt is also associated with the advance aging of cells.
Another factor believed to contribute to development of essential hypertension are the genetic factors. However, the genes for hypertension have not yet been identified. Aside from that, the ongoing research on the hypertension gene is focused on the genetic factors that somehow affect the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system aid in regulating the blood pressure by means of controlling the salt balance as well as the tone of the arteries. Nevertheless, approximately 30% of essential hypertension is attributed to genetic factors and example of which are those individuals with one or two parents that have hypertension. On the other hand, it is very rare that certain kinds of unusual genetic disorders that are affecting the hormones of the adrenal glands may actually lead to essential hypertension. However, such kinds of genetic disorders are considered more of a secondary hypertension.
The most common disorder among patients with essential hypertension is the abnormality of the arteries. Patients with essential hypertension experience stiffness or the lack of elasticity in the arteries that are most distant from the heart. The arteries in the heart supply the oxygen containing blood and the nutrients to all the tissues in the body. Moreover these heart arteries or arterioles are connected to the capillaries in the tissues to the veins which returns the blood to the heart as well as the lungs.