Natural Medicines for Treating High Blood Pressure & Hypertension
ABOUT THE BOOK High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension, a prevalent condition in the United States, is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, the economic burden to our society from HBP related problems and diseases is more than $93.5 billion per year.Approximately 90 to 95% of all HBP patients have so-called essential HBP for which the cause is unknown. The remainder 5 to 10% has secondary HBP due to diseases of the arteries, heart, the adrenal glands or kidneys. The blood pressure measurement consists of two numbers, the top number is known as systolic and the bottom number, diastolic, BP expressed in mm Hg. Systolic BP is generated during the contraction of the heart whereas diastolic BP is generated during relaxation in between heartbeats.