Important Information about High Blood Pressure and Heart Medication
Heart Disease is a massive problem in the United States and Great Britain.
Heart Disease is the primary cause of premature death in the United States, Great Britain and many other European and Westernised Countries. Statistics available from the British Heart Foundation indicate that it is the most common cause of mortality, being listed in more than thirty percent of all death certificates issued in the UK. There are similar data published by the American Heart Association indicating that in excess of 80 million Americans are currently sufferering from some form of Cardiovascular Disease. The statistics are breathtaking - In the UK alone, nearly 230,000 people suffer a heart attack each and every year. This translates into someone experiencing a myocardial infarction (heart attack) every two minutes. The sobering fact is that in about 30% of these heart attacks, the patients die. This represents nearly 70,000 annual deaths annually in the UK alone, or the equivalent of more than 1,300 Jumbo Jet crashes without any survivors!
The Dangers of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High blood pressure (hypertension) is often referred to as the “silent killer”, because it does not exhibit any symptoms which are easily noticed, until the situation becomes quite serious. However it quietly carries on increasing if left unchecked, until it causes a massive failure of one of the body’s essential organs. Even if the sufferer survives, they may be left with a permanent disability or a severely degraded quality of life. The management of high blood pressure is therefore a key defence in the battle against heart disease.
Different Types of High Blood Pressure
There are two different types of High Blood Pressure known as ‘Primary Hypertension’ and ‘Secondary Hypertension’. Primary or “essential” hypertension has no known cause, however genetic and certain lifestyle factors such as body weight and salt intake are involved. Approximately ninety percent of people diagnosed with hypertension fall into this category. The diagnosis is made when no other cause is found. Secondary hypertension is caused by some other medical diagnosis or problem, such as kidney disease, Cushing’s syndrome, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, chronic alcohol abuse, or the use of certain medications.
Primary hypertension
More than 9 out of 10 people with high blood pressure have what is called ‘primary’ or ‘essential hypertension’. It may be surprising to discover that there is no single clear cause of this condition, although it is known that some lifestyle factors can contribute to the condition. These include:
- smoking
- family history
- obesity
- excessive use of alcohol
- lack of exercise
- diet
Secondary hypertension
Around 1 in 10 people with high blood pressure have ’secondary hypertension’. This means that the condition cannot be linked to a recognised cause - in fact, it may be a symptom of another underlying disease or factor such as:
- kidney disease
- endocrine disease
- narrowing of the aorta
- steroid medicines
- the contraceptive pill
- pregnancy, which can cause pre-eclampsia
How to control High Blood Pressure with Hyzaar Blood Pressure Medication
Hyzaar is a drug that prevents fluid retention in the body’s tissues, which explains its colloquial designation as a “water pill”. This medication is a combination medication used for the treatment of high blood pressure. It consists of two separate drugs that are blended together. These are:-
- Losartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide
Losartan belongs to a contemporary class of blood pressure medications that prevents the hormone angiotensin II from contracting the blood vessels. This in turn allows blood to flow more efficiently, which can assist with maintaining control over the patient’s blood pressure.
Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic that increases the elimination of urine, which has the overall effect of removing fluid from the body and as a result, the patient’s blood pressure is lowered.
