Hypertension Sourcebook

Basic Consumer Health Information about the Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, with Facts about Consequences, Complications, and Co-Occurring Disorders, Such as Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, Stroke, Kidney Disease, and Hypertensive Retinopathy, and Issues in Blood Pressure Control, Including Dietary Choices, Stress Management, and Medications

Hypertension--the medical term for high blood pressure--affects more than 50 million people in the United States. Often occurring without symptoms or warning signs, it is a dangerous condition that increases an individual's risk for consequences such as heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Recent research indicates that the health effects of hypertension begin much earlier than previously believed, and a new disease category called "prehypertension" has been described to alert those who may potentially be at risk.

This Sourcebook describes the known causes and risk factors associated with essential (or primary) hypertension, secondary hypertension, prehypertension, and other hypertensive disorders. It explains the relationship between hypertension and common co-occurring conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea, and the complications and consequences of high blood pressure on various systems and organs of the body.

The book also provides information about blood pressure management strategies, including dietary changes, weight loss, exercise, and medications. A section on current research initiatives summarizes the ways scientists are seeking to discover the causes of hypertension, factors that contribute to making it worse, and ways in which it can be improved. Facts about current clinical trials are also presented. The book concludes with a glossary of related terms, a chapter of information about cookbooks for people with hypertension, and a directory of additional resources.

What reviewers are saying . . .

"Academic, public, and medical libraries will want to add the Hypertension Sourcebook to their collections." - E-Streams, August 2005

"The strength of this source is the wide range of information given about hypertension." - American Reference Books Annual, 2005