In 90–95 percent of patients it is impossible to find out the exact cause of elevated blood pressure. Healthcare professionals refer to such a state as primary (or essential) hypertension. 75 million of people in America only have got diagnosed primary hypertension.
Although it is the most common problem with blood pressure, primary hypertension still requires additional research. By now, scientists think that essential hypertension is caused by a whole bunch of various factors including environmental and hereditary issues. If earlier high blood pressure was untypical for children and adolescents, now it is diagnosed even in young patients. The causes of it are usually unknown.
At least several of the reasons for growing blood pressure are already known. For now they include artery wall thickening (hypertrophy), hardened arteries (arteriosclerosis), contracted arterioles (small arteries). Good news is that effective treatment methods are also available, both natural and medical.
In case of hypertension, artery walls become overloaded. Such a state has a very negative effect not only on blood vessels, but on other vital body organs, too. The degree of the damage depends on the exact level of blood pressure and duration of hypertension in case it is uncontrolled.
