Kidney Cancer : Risk Factors

Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress . A smoking habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products. Many health experts now regard habitual smoking as a psychological addiction, too, and one with serious health consequences.

Question: What are the negative effects of smoking? Answer: Smokers have an increased risk of the following: Lung cancer; Lung disease; Heart attack; Heart disease; Hypertension; Stroke; Oral cancer; Bladder cancer; Pancreatic cancer; Cervical cancer; Pregnancy complications; Low birth weight babies; Early menopause; Lower estrogen level for women; Facial wrinkles. Children of smokers have an increased risk of the following: Sudden infant death syndrome; Respiratory infections; Lung cancer; Ear infections.

When you smoke, toxins are carried by your blood to every organ in your body. At the same time, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke keeps red blood cells from carrying as much oxygen as normal.

Use of cigarettes and other tobacco products to engage in a habit that almost always leads to addiction. Every day 3,000 young people light up their first cigarette; every year a million teenagers become regular smokers. Adolescent smoking has risen steadily throughout the 1990s, following a sharp decline in the 1970s that leveled off in the 1980s. A 1994 report by the office of the U.S. Surgeon General found that approximately 28% of teens smoked in 1991 and 1992. By 1995 a survey of high school students released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the prevalence of teen smoking had increased to 34.8%. The study also found that smoking was most prevalent among white teenagers (38%), followed by Hispanics (34%), and blacks (19%). In addition to smoking more, teenagers are also starting to smoke earlier. The average teen smokes his or her first cigarette at the age of 13, becoming a regular smoker at 1444. A 1996 survey by the Public Health Service found that 21% of eighth graders and 30% of tenth graders surveyed smoked. The harmful effects of teenage smoking are known to be both short-term and long-term. During adolescence, smoking interferes with ongoing lung growth and development, preventing the attainment of full lung function. Teenagers who smoke are less fit than their nonsmoking peers and more apt to experience shortness of breath, dizziness, coughing, and excess phlegm in their lungs. They are also more vulnerable to colds, flu, pneumonia, and other respiratory problems. Smoking for even a short time can produce a chronic smoker's cough. In addition to respiratory problems and a diminished level of overall well-being in adolescence, teenage smoking is also responsible for health problems in adulthood. It is estimated that one-third of the teenagers who start smoking each year will eventually die of diseases related to tobacco use—diseases that will shorten their lives by an average of 12-15 years. Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and stroke. The 1994 Surgeon General's report links teenage smoking to cardiovascular disease in both adolescents and adults. The same report cites evidence that the length of time a person has smoked has a greater impact on the risk of developing lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers than the number of cigarettes smoked—in other words, starting to smoke at an early age is an even greater health risk than being a heavy smoker. Several factors have been cited as inducements for teenagers to begin smoking. It is generally agreed that the most important is peer pressure. Having friends who smoke makes smoking appear desirable to teens and makes them feel different or left out if they don't smoke also. (Many teenagers overestimate the prevalence of teen smoking.) At parties or in other social situations, smoking can help teenagers mask or cope with feelings of insecurity or self-consciousness. They also use it—as adults do—to help them cope with a broad range of Stressors and negative feelings. Other factors cited as playing a role in teenage smoking include curiosity, boredom, and the desire to rebel against parents and other authority figures. Teenagers are much less likely to model parental smoking behavior than that of their peers. The main impact parents can have on teen smoking is to actively discourage their children from smoking by discussing its harmful effects and to be supportive of their children in other areas of their lives. The 6.2 billion dollars that the tobacco industry spends every year on advertising has also been shown to have a significant effect on teenage smoking. In spite of industry denials, teenagers are a crucial market for cigarette manufacturers. Since the vast majority of people who smoke start before the age of 18, this is the prime period during which tobacco companies must make their appeal to

Right away, you may cough, wheeze, and have a sore throat—that’s the tar clogging up your lungs. You may also have a headache, feel dizzy, and be nauseated—that’s the nicotine in your brain. Over time, you risk lung and throat cancer, and lung diseases like emphysema and bronchitis.

Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress . A smoking habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products. Many health experts now regard habitual smoking as a psychological addiction, too, and one with serious health consequences.

Hear the facts about smoking from those who have been doing it for a few years. Find a smoker or two. Ask a few questions. See if their answers sound something like these.

Ex-smokers' risk of heart disease may eventually approach that of a lifetime nonsmoker, but their risk of lung cancer is less likely to fade, even after long periods of time.

Smoking during pregnancy reduces oxygen and blood flow to your baby. This may cause bleeding problems that can put your pregnancy at risk.

Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco that is used mostly in three forms: cigarettes, pipes, and cigars.

One of the major triggers for asthma attacks is cigarette smoke. Cigarette, pipe or cigar smoke is especially harmful to people with asthma because it damages the cells in the lungs that make the protective coating lining the bronchial tubes.

Life may seem out of control, but you're really making progress. You're going through withdrawal, which is how your body recovers from smoking.

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to keep your heart disease from getting worse. Smoking reduces oxygen flow to your heart, speeds plaque buildup, and increases your risk for heart attack.

When you are trying to quit, the support of friends, coworkers and family members can make a big difference.

Detailed information on respiratory diseases and smoking, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer

Everybody knows smoking is bad for your health. Now here's something you may not know: Smoking is bad for your looks. It's true.

The most common reasons include: "Smoking gives me more energy. I smoke to keep from slowing down. I reach for a cigarette when I need a lift. When I'm tired, smoking perks me up."

Detailed information on teens and smoking

Do you have healthy gums? You may kiss them goodbye if you're a smoker.

Smoking damages your arteries, and it’s thought that the damaged arteries in the discs and joints in your back may lead to pain and injury.

Teens who smoke are more likely to quit if they can be convinced to participate in a cessation program that emphasizes the health risks of smoking, provides motivational encouragement and coping skills, and encourages a healthy overall lifestyle.

For most people, the best way to quit smoking is some combination of medicine, a method to change personal habits and emotional support.

Smoking is an important and preventable cause of death and illness. However, as more money has been spent on smoking cessation programs, the incidence of cigarette smoking has risen. In 2002, 48 percent of men and 12 percent of women in the world were smokers (World Health Organization). Tobacco consumption increased from 1,100 million individuals during the early 1990s to 1,300 million by the year 2000 (United Nations Economic and Social Council). At this rate, the number of tobacco-related deaths is projected to reach more than 9 million by the year 2020. The number of tobacco-related deaths increased from 4.2 million to 4.9 million between 2000 and 2002, meaning that more than nine people die due to smoking-related illnesses every minute. Research indicates that tobacco causes more than twenty categories of fatal and disabling diseases, including lung cancer , cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases. However, tobacco is very addictive, and the majority of smokers have difficulty quitting even when they have a medical condition. For example, a 2000 study of 15,660 adults by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that 38 percent of people with emphysema, 25 percent of people with asthma , 20 percent of people with hypertension and cardiovascular problems, and 19 percent of people with diabetes continue to smoke. Although smoking was responsible for their health conditions, they perceived that, since their health conditions already exist, quitting would not have an affect on their future health and well-being. A recent area of concern related to tobacco use has been nonsmokers' exposure to second-hand smoke. Parental smoking has been proven to contribute to increased rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in addition to chronic illnesses in children such as asthma, bronchitis, colds, and pneumonia . Pregnant women who chew tobacco, smoke, or are exposed to second-hand smoke have a higher risk of miscarriage and of giving birth to low birth weight babies, who are prone to infection. Women who smoke are more likely to be victims of primary and secondary infertility, to have delays in conceiving, and to have an increased risk of early menopause and low bone density ("Current Issues and Forthcoming Events"). Most women are unaware of these dangers. Not only can the expectant mother place her unborn fetus in danger, but she can also place herself at risk for future smoking-related diseases and early mortality. An illustration of cigarette smoke entering the lungs. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic or carcinogenic. Repeated inhalation of the smoke causes permanent damage to internal organs and reduces the body's ability to fight infection. [Todd Buck/Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc. Reproduced by permission.] Quitting smoking at any age improves life expectancy. The 2002 Cancer Prevention Study examined the benefits of smoking cessation in 877,243 men and women in the United States. Life expectancy of smokers who quit before age thirty-five was extended by 8.5 years in men and by 7.7 years in women. The study found that smokers who quit at any age are subjected to meaningful life extensions (Taylor, et al.). In addition to a life free from smoking-related diseases, an individual who quits smoking can experience increased longevity. SEE ALSO C ANCER ; H EART D ISEASE ; L OW B IRTH W EIGHT I NFANT ; N UTRITIONAL D EFICIENCY ; P REGNANCY . Daphne C. Watkins

I know that smoking is very bad for me. I've cut down to one cigarette after lunch and another after dinner each day, with two or three more on most weekend nights when I socialize. I really enjoy smoking, but I want to know if I'm harming myself.

Every day, nearly 6,000 teens and pre-teens try cigarettes for the first time, according to the American Lung Association. A third of these first-timers will end up becoming smokers.

When people consider the cost of smoking, they usually focus on the cost of the cigarettes alone. But that's only the first step.

Among other things, keep a personal benefits log. Write down the benefits you experience from being smoke-free (for example, I can smell flowers again!) Write the specific occurrence, the date it first happened, and your reaction.

A smoker's recovery plan includes listing those activities that you have chosen to help reduce the pressures of nicotine withdrawal and staying smoke-free.

The personal motivation list will help you identify the benefits of quitting, for you, for your family, and for your friends.

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of obesity is known as bariatrics. As obesity has become a major health problem in the United States, bariatrics has become a separate medical and surgical specialty.

Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass. Adults with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 but less than 30 are considered overweight. Adults with a BMI greater than 30 are considered obese. Anyone more than 100 pounds overweight or with a BMI greater than 40 is considered morbidly obese.

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Obesity is the condition of having an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, resulting in a body weight more than 20% above the average for height, age, sex, and body type, and in elevated risk of disability, illness, and death.

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Weighing too much is harmful, but the location of those extra pounds can worsen the risk.

Detailed information on obesity, including cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Obesity , defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, is an epidemic in the United States and other industrialized nations, and it is rapidly becoming one in developing nations. As countries transition to westernized lifestyles, obesity tends to increase. Obesity rates vary from as little as 2 percent in some Asian countries to as much as 75 percent in some Pacific nations. There are more than 300 million obese persons in the world, and more than 750 million overweight persons. In the United States, 34 percent of adults are over-weight and 30.5 percent are obese. Between 1980 and 2000, the percentage of overweight children ages six to eleven doubled, from 7 percent to 15 percent, and the percentage of overweight adolescents ages twelve to nineteen tripled, from 5 percent to 16 percent (Ogden, et al.). In Europe, the thinnest country is Sweden, with about 10 percent obesity, while the fattest is Lithuania, with about 79 percent obesity. The sad fact is the prevalence of obesity appears to be increasing in all countries. An obese person has a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death compared to someone of normal weight. In the United States, more than 300,000 deaths a year are attributable to obesity. Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes , coronary heart disease , stroke , hypertension , elevated blood cholesterol , some cancers (e.g., colon, endometrial, kidney, gallbladder, and postmenopausal breast cancer ), osteoarthritis , gallbladder disease, and respiratory disease. In addition, obesity is often associated with discrimination and prejudice, causing some obese people to suffer poor self-esteem and reduced quality of life. The health care costs attributable to obesity exceed $100 billion a year in the United States, more than 6 percent of the total health care costs.

With childhood obesity on the rise, should parents worry about the weight of their babies?

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

obesity increases the risk for illness from 30 serious medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and several types of cancer.

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.

As your body mass index goes up, so does your risk for health problems. Your blood pressure goes up and so do your cholesterol levels.

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death .

The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

There is growing evidence that obesity increases a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. The reasons are still unclear, but obesity affects hormone production, which could in turn be influencing cancer growth.

Term describing a condition where the ratio of body fat to total body mass is higher than accepted norms. Obesity is a relative term used to describe the condition where the ratio of body fat, which is measurable, to total body mass is higher than the accepted norm. {Obesity and overweight are often used interchangeably, but their technical definitions are different. Overweight refers to an excess of body weight that includes all tissues—fat, bone, and muscle. Obesity refers specifically to an excess of body fat.) Body fat is about 15% of total body mass for the normal adult male and about 20-25% for the normal adult female. A general rule of thumb is that an individual is probably obese when his or her weight exceeds the maximum weight on standardized height and weight charts by more than 20%. However, during childhood and adolescence, when the body is growing and developing, the proportion of body fat is slightly higher than for a mature adult. In addition, the proportion of body fat fluctuates during various stages of growth. The percent of U.S. children who are overweight is estimated to be between 20-30%, but there is no firm definition of obesity for children and adolescents. The body mass index (BMI) and average weight-for-height charts provide general guidelines. Pediatricians and parents should evaluate an individual child's weight in the context of his stage of growth, level of physical activity, and general dietary habits. Richard P. Troiano, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, encourages parents and physicians to observe children and adolescents in their environment over time, and cautions against making weight a disease. Adults should help children see the relationship between eating and exercise choices and weight.

Extreme obesity plagues more than a million teens and young adults, experts estimate. What's a parent to do?

Detailed information on weight and weight control, including healthy tips for maintaining your weight

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20 percent or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of obesity is known as bariatrics. As obesity has become a major health problem in the United States, bariatrics has become a separate medical and surgical specialty.

Bariatric surgery, which helps extremely obese people lose weight by reducing the size of the stomach and intestines, carries a higher risk of death than previously believed, new research shows. Three studies, published October 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found death rates of 3% to 5% for middle-aged adults and more than twice that high for patients 65 to 74, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Among patients 75 or older, 40% of the women and half of the men died, the AP story said.

Exploring the causes and consequences of America's growing epidemic of obesity.Obesity is not a new problem. Forty years ago, 4 of every 10 Americans were overweight or obese. But obesity is a growing problem, and it’s growing quickly; today, two of every three Americans need to lose weight. In the 1960s, obesity was an epidemic; today, it’s a pandemic.

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

More than 19 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and millions more have a condition that puts them at high risk for developing it.

The American Diabetes Association estimates at least 20.1 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes means having a blood sugar level that is higher than normal, but not yet persistently high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. By taking steps to control your blood sugar, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.

What is responsible for obesity, how to treat it.At one time it was commonly believed that overweight and obese people were compulsive eaters, anxious, depressed, under stress, or trying to compensate for inadequate upbringing, family conflict, or other deficiencies in their lives. But since then, when almost everyone seems to be getting heavier and obesity has become a national political issue, both experts and the public are turning away from the idea that weight gain is a personal emotional problem. Instead the trend toward obesity has become a subject for biologists and sociologists, regarded as the physical consequence of a general social condition. It’s become less clear what role psychotherapists and other mental health professionals should play in managing the problem.

America is more overweight and out of shape than ever. The result? Soaring medical costs and lost productivity. The U.S. government is working to change that with "Healthy People 2010," its latest effort to show us that national health demands personal health. The drive includes 10 "leading health indicators," modeled after our leading economic indicators.

A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.

The prevalence and consequences of obesity and how to treat it; explanation of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Portion sizes are bigger today, and that increase has contributed to the growing numbers of overweight or obese Americans.

Each overweight or obese American spends $700 more a year on medical bills than trim neighbors, one expert says.

With two out of three Americans overweight or obese, it's become a community problem. The solution requires cooperation from public and private institutions.

Obesity has become a public health crisis in the United States, in part, because Americans are consuming more calories than they did 30 years ago. A large part of that increase in consumption can be pinned on a greater use of foods prepared away from home -- those ready-to-eat items available at restaurants, grocery store food counters and fast-food eateries.

Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves, studies have shown. One study, in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that for a child under 10, having an obese parent more than doubled the child's risk for becoming an obese adult.

Obesity is the most common health problem facing children, child health experts say. More than 30 percent of children and teens are overweight, and 15 percent are obese.

True or false? Most overweight people got that way because they're self-indulgent weaklings without the will power to say no to super-sized french fries and fudge-slathered ice cream.

We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many obese adults don't believe they are obese. A small survey (104 adults ages 45 to 64 were polled) found that 71% of normal-weight people placed themselves in the correct weight category, as did 73% of overweight people. However, only 15% of obese people identified themselves as obese. The Associated Press reported April 9 on the survey, done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, an adult who is 5 feet 10 inches tall is overweight at 174 pounds and obese at 209 pounds.

Experts in one study say the study shows the limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of obesity, especially because it doesn't account for weight that is muscle rather than fat. A study of 90,000 U.S. women, described in the second article, says the risk of death jumps sharply for extremely obese women -- those at least 90 pounds overweight.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is warning that obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of several complications, including high blood pressure, a serious condition called preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. The ACOG opinion, published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, says obese women also are more likely to miscarry, to need a Caesarean section, and to have excessive bleeding and infection after a Caesarean section. Babies of obese women are more likely to be stillborn, be born prematurely and have spinal cord abnormalities called neural tube defects. The risks affect women with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30, and are even higher for women with a BMI of more than 30.

Experts are challenging a recent, widely reported study that suggested being overweight is not associated with early mortality.

I am 19 years old and weigh 300 pounds. I have tried diets and they don't work. I have had a physical and am healthy except for my weight. I would like to have stomach banding surgery done. Am I a good candidate for this procedure?

The fact is, you might not care as much about looks as your wife does, but that fat around your abdomen is no laughing matter. A man's potbelly often warns of later problems ranging from heart disease to cancer, diabetes, arthritis, back pain and sleep apnea.

In populations, blood pressures fit a normal distribution, but the attendant risks of heart disease and stroke increase curvilinearly with increasing levels of blood pressure, without any obvious breakpoint ( Fig. 63-1 ). Thus, the separation of normal from high blood pressure is arbitrary, and the definition of hypertension has been a moving target.

Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the artery walls as it travels through the body. Like air in a balloon, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity—and just as too much air pressure can cause damage to a balloon, too much blood pressure can harm healthy arteries. Blood pressure is measured by two numbers—systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure measures cardiac output and refers to the pressure in the arterial system at its highest. Diastolic pressure measures peripheral resistance and refers to arterial pressure at its lowest. Blood pressure is normally measured at the brachial artery with a sphygmomanometer (pressure cuff) in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and given as systolic over diastolic pressure. A blood pressure reading thus appears as two numbers. The upper number is the systolic pressure, which is the peak force of blood as the heart pumps it. The lower number is the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart is filling or relaxing before the next beat. Normal blood pressure for an adult is 120/70 (on average), but normal for an individual varies with the height, weight, fitness level, age, and health of a person.

Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as two numbers. For example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg. The top number is your systolic pressure, the pressure created when your heart beats. It is considered high if it is consistently over 140; The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, the pressure inside blood vessels when the heart is at rest. It is considered high if it is consistently over 90. Either or both of these numbers may be too high. Pre-hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89 on multiple readings. If you have pre-hypertension, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure. See also: Blood pressure

Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information

The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of hypertension (HTN) and was adapted from materials published by the NHLBI.

Also known as high blood pressure, a condition in which too much force is exerted by the blood as it travels through the body's arteries. There are two types of hypertension: primary and secondary. Primary, or essential, hypertension is caused by external factors; secondary hypertension is related to an underlying disorder, such as a congenital heart defect or kidney disease. Factors that increase the risk of high blood pressure include age (the likelihood of hypertension increases with age), race (hypertension is two to three times more common in blacks than in whites), heredity, and being overweight. About 60 million Americans have high blood pressure. Of this number roughly 2.7 million are children between the ages of six and 17. Secondary hypertension occurs in only about 10% of the diagnoses—in the majority of cases the condition has no known cause. However, serious hypertension in infants and young children is usually of the secondary variety. Secondary hypertension also occurs (although less frequently) in adolescents, in whom it can signal a hormonal imbalance, kidney disorder, or other condition. In contrast, primary hypertension is not unusual among adolescents and is also found, though infrequently, in children. Of the two types, secondary hypertension is easier to detect because the symptoms of the underlying condition alert the child and parents that something is wrong. Primary hypertension usually produces no symptoms, a fact that makes it important for children to have their blood pressure tested regularly starting at the age of three. Children and adolescents with high blood pressure have an increased risk of developing hypertension in adulthood. Blood pressure in children is measured the same way as in adults—with the familiar inflatable cuff and meter known as a sphygmomanometer (although a special smaller cuff is used for children). Two figures are used to describe blood pressure. The top figure—known as systolic blood pressure—refers to the level of pressure when the heart contracts to circulate the blood. The lower number—called the diastolic pressure—is based on the reading when the heart is resting. The total pressure is the systolic over the diastolic pressure, expressed in millimeters of mercury (a typical blood pressure reading might be 120 over 80). High blood pressure in adults is defined as a reading higher than 140 over 90. The blood pressure of children is lower than of adults and steadily increases as the child grows older. For example, a normal reading for a three-year-old would be 98 over 64. High blood pressure is diagnosed in children if the average of three readings is higher than that for 90% of children in the same age group. Aside from age, size itself is a factor—larger children have higher blood pressure than smaller ones, whatever their age (a fact taken in account when their blood pressure is assessed). Children should not have their blood pressure taken when they are nervous or agitated. Adolescents should be careful not to ingest any stimulants, such as caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol, in the hours preceding a blood pressure reading. When a child is found to have elevated blood pressure, blood and urine tests and kidney χ rays are commonly taken to rule out any underlying disorder. If the diagnosis is primary hypertension, common treatment measures include a program of increased exercise and dietary modifications to cut down on sodium, especially salt, which is abundant in many foods favored by young people, such as french fries, pizza, potato chips, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Some substitution of healthy snacks such as fruit can help reduce the amount of salt in the diet. If the child is overweight, dietary changes may focus on weight loss. Even a modest reduction in weight can help reduce blood pressure. If other measures do not sufficiently alleviate the hypertension, a medication may be prescribed, usually a diuretic which cuts down

Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information

Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information

This report explains what your blood pressure numbers mean and how hypertension can be prevented and treated by making diet and lifestyle changes. Also includes information on medications.

Each day that your blood pressure is too high, your chances of having a stroke are increased.

Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.

High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.

Hypertension is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke, leading causes of morbidity and mortality in North America. Concern has been raised that there is inadequate outpatient detection, evaluation, and treatment of hypertension, and that this is resulting in increased hospital admissions with complications of untreated hypertension: heart failure, and end-stage renal disease .

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues.

Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don’t take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.

When I get up in the morning, my systolic blood pressure is 30 to 50 points higher than it is later in the day (about 110). I am taking three different blood pressure medications. Is this unusual?

High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.

High blood pressure has joined type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol on a list of ailments that once struck only adults but now afflict children.

The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 1900, high blood pressure, or hypertension, was not generally recognized as a health problem. Only when a practical method of clinical blood pressure measurement emerged in the early 1900s were associations made between hypertension and subsequent morbidity and mortality. Those associations were confirmed by actuarial statistics, correlating blood pressure levels of life insurance policy holders with subsequent death rates. The associations were also confirmed by observation studies such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, which routinely collected information regarding the health status of an entire community. These data showed that as blood pressure rose, deaths from stroke, heart disease, and all causes began to increase. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the chance of dying from a heart attack or stroke. The first controlled clinical trial to test the efficacy of blood-pressure–lowering drugs was designed to occur during a five-year period. The results were so successful that the study was stopped at eighteen months. Those receiving blood-pressure–lowering drugs had fewer cardiovascular events than those taking a placebo. Lowering blood pressure saved lives. The goal of the NHBPEP is to reduce death and disability through programs of professional, patient, and public education. The aim is to raise public awareness about hypertension, to urge hypertensive patients to follow their doctor's advice, and to have clinicians use the available scientific information. The strategies include developing and disseminating educational materials and programs that are grounded in a strong science base and developing partnerships among the program participants. Throughout its history, the NHBPEP has worked to mobilize and coordinate the resources of organizations. The NHBPEP is a network of federal agencies, voluntary and professional organizations, all state health departments, and numerous community-based programs. At the hub of the program is the NHBPEP Coordinating committee, composed of representatives from thirty-eight national professional, public, and voluntary health organizations and seven federal agencies. The program follows a consensus-building process to identify major issues of concern among the participants and to develop program activities. Representatives from the member organizations work together to provide guidance to the program and each other, as well as to develop and promote activities to their own constituencies. This multidisciplinary committee also defines national priorities, examines critical issues, explores future opportunities, sponsors national activities, and promotes collaboration among the program partners. The Coordinating Committee agencies encompass a wide distribution network, supporting a mass media campaign and distribution of educational materials and documents. Among their publications are posters, public service announcements, patient education brochures, and clinical guidelines. Additional activities include designing public health interventions to address the excessive stroke mortality in the Southeast United States; publishing reports describing best treatment practices to control hypertension; conducting demonstration projects at the work site and in urban and rural settings; developing reports and intervention programs regarding hypertension among special populations or situations (e.g., African Americans, hypertensive patients with renal disease or diabetes, children and older Americans); and promoting population strategies for the primary prevention of hypertension. The effectiveness of the NHBPEP can be measured in several ways. In 1972, the year the program began, less than one-fourth o

Did you know you can purchase your own blood pressure monitor and check the reading yourself at home?

While people with high blood pressure are typically told to abstain from alcohol, a study suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent them from having a heart attack.

A Harvard Medical School doctor discusses possible causes of low blood pressure.

Is it absolutely necessary for a diabetic who does not have high blood pressure to take a blood pressure pill anyway?

Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information

What causes high blood pressure in a 4-year-old? Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".

A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common chronic adult illness in the United States. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer. This is because many people who have it don’t know it. You can take an easy test to see if your blood pressure is too high. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Doing so could save your life.

Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Do you know your risk factors for high blood pressure?

The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body's system of regulating blood pressure.

For those living with high blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight will likely have a positive effect not just on blood pressure, but on overall health.

Even if your blood pressure is normal or high-normal, you're still at increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), the condition in which your heart works too hard and the resulting forceful blood flow harms arteries.

Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.

In most cases, high blood pressure responds to treatment, but the success of the treatment is up to you.

Is it possible for a blockage in the kidneys to cause high blood pressure? What type of blockage would there be in a kidney?

If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.

High blood pressure can contribute to sexual problems, as can some treatments for it.

The number of Americans with high blood pressure has risen steadily since the 1960s, and now tops 65 million.

Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues.

Isolated systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 while the diastolic pressure is below 90, is caused by stiffening of large arteries. Medication may be prescribed, but lifestyle changes will have more impact on overall health.

A study reports that if the vertebra that supports the skull is misaligned, careful manipulation of it may result in a significant drop in blood pressure.

Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues.

The category of prehypertension was established to serve as a warning. Those whose blood pressure reading falls in it should work to lower their pressure through diet, exercise, and weight control, though in some cases medication may be prescribed.

An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.

Hypertension is high blood pressure . Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is an inherited condition characterized by tumors that arise in multiple locations in the body. Some of these tumors cause cancer and some do not. Many of the tumors seen in VHL are vascular, meaning that they have a rich supply of blood vessels.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a hereditary condition that involves cancer and can affect people of all ages. It was named after the physicians to first describe aspects of the condition in the early 1900s, German ophthalmologist Eugen von Hippel and Swedish pathologist Arvid Lindau. It was not until 1964 that the term von Hippel-Lindau disease was coined. See Symbol Guide for Pedigree Charts. ( Gale Group .)

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is an inherited condition characterized by tumors that arise in multiple locations in the body. Some of these tumors cause cancer and some do not. Many of the tumors seen in VHL are vascular, meaning that they have a rich supply of blood vessels.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a rare familial cancer syndrome. A person with VHL can develop both benign and malignant tumors and cysts in many different organs in the body. Tumors and cysts most commonly develop in the brain and spine, eyes, kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, and inner ear.

Detailed anatomical description of the prostate gland, including simple definitions and labeled, full-color illustrations

Detailed anatomical description of the prostate gland, including simple definitions and labeled, full-color illustrations

Detailed information on male growth and development

Detailed anatomical description of the prostate gland, including simple definitions and labeled, full-color illustrations

First Aid: Chemical ExposureSome chemicals cause burns. Others may be absorbed through skin or lungs, causing hidden damage.Seek Medical HelpChemicals may cause serious damage not only to the outside of the body but also to the inside.