Blood pressure is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped, and the size and flexibility of the arteries. Blood pres

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Aortic coarctation is a birth defect in which the major artery from the heart (the aorta) is narrowed somewhere along its length, most commonly just past the point where the aorta and the subclavian artery meet. Alternative Names: Aortic coarctatio

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Hypertensive heart disease is a late complication of hypertension (high blood pressure) that affects the heart. Causes, incidence, and risk factors: High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart, and over time, this can cause thickening

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Autonomic hyperreflexia is a reaction of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system to over-stimulation. This reaction may include high blood pressure, change in heart rate, skin color changes (pallor, redness, blue-grey coloration), and profuse swea

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The body uses sodium to regulate blood pressure and blood volume. Sodium is also critical for the functioning of muscles and nerves. Sodium occurs naturally in most foods. The most common form of sodium is sodium chloride, which is table salt. Milk,

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Hypertension (high blood pressure) can be caused by using a chemical substance, drug, or medication. It can also be caused by stopping a drug or medication. See also high blood pressure. Alternative Names: Hypertension - medication related Caus

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As blood is pumped through your body, it exerts pressure on the walls of your arteries. The systolic blood pressure is the pressure against these walls when the heart contracts, and the diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart relaxes.

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Hypertension means high blood pressure. This generally means: Systolic blood pressure is consistently over 140 (systolic is the "top" number of your blood pressure measurement, which represents the pressure generated when the heart b

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Hypertensive retinopathy involves damage to the retina caused by high blood pressure. Causes, incidence, and risk factors: High blood pressure can cause damage to blood vessels in the eyes. The higher the blood pressure and the longer it has been

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Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when your blood pressure frequently goes over 140/90 mm Hg. A patient is considered "pre-hypertensive" if the top (systolic) number of the

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Hypersomnia, or excessive sleepiness, is a condition in which a person has trouble staying awake during the day. People who have hypersomnia can fall asleep at any time; for instance, at work or while they are driving. They may also have other sleep-

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  The types of arrhythmias include: Premature atrial contractions. These are early extra beats that originate in the atria (upper chambers of the heart). They are harmless and do not require treatment. Premature ventricular contrac

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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called a "silent disease" because you usually don't know that you have it; there may be no outward symptoms or signs. Nonetheless, it damages the body and eventually may cause such problems as

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One of the most dangerous aspects of hypertension is that you may not know that you have it. There are generally no symptoms, so you usually don't feel it. In fact, nearly one-third of people who have hypertension don't know it. The only way to find

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Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is dangerous because it makes

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That finding comes from a 2001 telephone survey of more than 24,000 California workers analyzed by Haiou Yang, PhD; Dean Baker, MD, MPH; and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine. Compared with people who work 11 to 39 hours a week, tho

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