Naturopathic treatment is found to be very effective for hypertension. Hypertension is the medical term for abnormally high blood pressure (BP). It is not synonymous with nervous tension, anxiety or over activity. High blood pressure results from either an increased output of blood from the heart or an increased resistance to its flow through tiny branches of the arteries, called arterioles, or both. BP is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is expressed as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure. The systolic blood pressure is recorded during the instant that the heart contracts (systole) to force blood into the circulation, it is always higher than the diastolic, which is recorded when the heart relaxes between beats (diastole). Thus, blood pressure of 120/80mm Hg means that the systolic pressure is 120 and the diastolic pressure is 80. BP is measured by an inflatable cuff (sphygmomanometer) that is wrapped around the arm.
BP fluctuates considerably even in normal individuals. It tends to increase with physical activity, excitement, lear, of emotional stress, but such elevations are usually transient. The term hypertension indicates that blood pressure exceeds the upper limits most of the time, not just for short periods.
Prevalence.
It has been estimated that in the United States at least 30 million people have hypertension. This can mean a systolic pressure greater than 160, or a diastolic pressure of 95, or both.) It is more frequent and more severe in black heard of in children and adolescents. It usually appears after the age of 30 and is slightly more common in women than in men after the age of 50. It occurs throughout the world and is most prevalent in Japan. In societies that consume little or no salt the incidence of hypertension is extremely low, and the blood pressure does not tend to rise with age as it does among people in other societies.
