High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major health problem in the United States. Untreated, high blood pressure will cause the heart to eventually overwork itself to the point at which serious damage can occur. For Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure (the force of blood against artery walls).instance, the heart muscle can thicken (hypertrophy) and function abnormally, or dilate and contract less forcefully (dilated cardiomyopathy). High blood pressure can also cause injury to the brain, the eyes and the kidneys, where delicate arteries are damaged by the increased pressure.

High blood pressure is considered a major risk factor for heart attack, heart failure and stroke. About half of people having first-time heart attacks and two-thirds of people having first-time strokes suffer from high blood pressure. Most cases of high blood pressure have no cure, but the overwhelming majority can be managed and controlled with diet and medication.

High blood pressure affects one out of every three Americans or 65 million people, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). An additional 28 percent of Americans, or 59 million people, have prehypertension, which is defined as blood pressure that is on the borderline between normal and elevated. Of the people with high blood pressure, 28 percent do not know they have the condition. Among the 61 percent who are under treatment, only 35 percent have their blood pressure adequately controlled.