Hypertension and stroke

Hypertension: Hypertension is the most important risk factor in the development of CHD, myocardial infarction (MI), diabetes, and stroke. Hypertensive women are four times more likely than age-matched controls to develop CHD. The treatment of hypertension has and is leading to a remarkable decrease in the incidence of MI and stroke. Hypertension increases with age. The Framingham Heart Study found that 55-year-old normotensive individuals have a 90% risk for developing hypertension. Epidemiology and natural history. Unfortunately not everyone who has hypertension has been diagnosed. Fewer receive treatment and fewer are in good control, although this has improved in the past years. Because of more effective treatment of hypertension, the mortality and morbidity of stroke and MI have declined. Age-adjusted rates of death declined by 60% from stroke and 53% for CHD. The Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of Hypertension VII states: The relationship between BP and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events is continuous, consistent, and independent of other risk factors. The higher the BP, the greater the chance of myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF), stroke, and kidney disease. For individuals aged 40 to 70 years, each increment of 20 mm Hg in systolic BP or 10 mm Hg in diastolic BP doubles the risk of CVD across the entire BP range from 115/75 to 185/115 mm Hg.