High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Heart Failure is defined as a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should.

The weakening of the heart's pumping ability causes

• Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs

• The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs - called edema

Depression is associated with an increased risk for both disability and death. One possible way that depression may adversely affect physical health is by altering immune function, and depressed individuals have been shown to have signs of both decreased immune cell activity and elevated markers of systemic inflammation. From a group of 79 pre- or perimenopausal women participating in the multisite Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, researchers studied the links between depressive symptoms and the presence of a class of compounds called proinflammatory cytokines, which serve as cellular messengers to activate the immune response. The women averaged 48 years of age, 61% were white and 39% were black, 72% were married, and 23% were current smokers. In addition, 29% reported recent sleep problems. The women completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale.

About 65 million American adults—nearly 1 in 3—have high blood pressure.

In the United States, high blood pressure occurs more often in African Americans than in Caucasians. Compared to other groups, African Americans:

• Tend to get high blood pressure earlier in life
• Usually have more severe high blood pressure
• Have a higher death rate from stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure

The American Society of Hypertension discusses all aspects of this condition in their informative pamphlet, Understanding Hypertension. Follow the link below to see it.

According to this literature, the cause of most hypertension is unknown. Known factors include:

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

Clozapine, considered the most effective antipsychotic drug, has serious side effects. According to a new study, patients taking this drug have significantly higher rates of an illness called "metabolic syndrome."

Depression can occur at any age. NIMH-sponsored studies estimate that 6 percent of 9- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. and almost 10 percent of American adults, or about 19 million people age 18 and older, experience some form of depression every year.

According to a study described by the National Institute of Mental Health, it appears that depression is an important risk factor for heart disease along with high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. A study has found that people who had a history of depression were four times more likely to suffer a heart attack and those who were depressed were four times as likely to die after a heart attack in the next 6 months as those who were not depressed.

On June 20, 2006, the American Heart Association issued new diet and lifestyle recommendations in the fight to prevent cardiovascular disease — the nation’s No. 1 killer.

Intended for healthy Americans age 2 and older, the recommendations, which replace guidelines issued in 2000, now recommend:

"Angiotensin-converting-enzyme (or ACE) inhibitors are widely used to treat high blood pressure, and are often prescribed for people with diabetes. Many formulations are available, sold under numerous brand names."