Hypertension In this text, I concern myself with hypertension. In so doing, I will amongst other things discuss its causes and possible complications. Further, I will also highlight treatment and control options with a particular emphasis on lifestyle changes, exercises, etc.

Causes

Hypertension could either be secondary or essential (Toth and Cannon, 2010). Unlike secondary hypertension, essential hypertension has no clear or exact cause. For this reason, this category of hypertension is often associated with a sedentary lifestyle, stress, excessive intake of alcohol, smoking, etc. On the other hand, secondary hypertension according to Toth and Cannon (2010) results from an identifiable mechanism or cause, i.e. A specific disorder.

Underlying Diseases Which Could be Caused by Hypertension

According to the American College of Sports Medicine -- ACSM (2010), underlying diseases which could be caused by hypertension include but they are not limited to chronic kidney disease, heart failure, CVD, etc. Other underlying diseases caused by the condition are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (Waldstein, Wendell, Katzel, 2010).

Incidence

According to the World Health Statistics 2012 report issued by the World Health Organization - WHO, the mean blood pressure in countries regarded high-income has been on the decline in recent times (WHO, 2012). ACSM points out that the number of Americans suffering from hypertension stands at approximately 65 million. The condition as the World Health Statistics 2012 report further points out is to blame more than half of all stroke-related deaths and approximately...

In seeking to keep their blood pressure in check, individuals with hypertension should ensure that their diet contains lots of fiber and potassium (Dunford, 2006). The relevance of consuming low fat foods cannot also be overstated (Dunford, 2006). For this reason, individuals with hypertension should consume lean proteins while limiting their ingestion of foods containing high levels of saturated fats. Those who smoke should also consider quitting by amongst other things joining smoking cessation programs. Individuals suffering from hypertension should also maintain a healthy body weight and explore ways of reducing stress.
According to ACSM (2010), individuals with hypertension are often grouped into several categories, i.e. group A, B, and C. It is this categorization that largely influences recommendations in regard to exercise testing. Before exercise testing, persons suffering from hypertension ought to undergo medical evaluation (ACSM, 2010). As ACSM further points out, while SL-GXT is not mandatory for those in group A or B. prior to engaging in moderate or light intensity exercises/activities, it is strongly recommended that persons in group C. undergo an exercise test before undertaking similar activities/exercises.

Although aerobic exercises are emphasized, they could be supplemented by moderate-intensity…