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Hypertension has been variously defined over the years. However, systolic (i.e., peak) bloodpressure ≥140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg are now considered indicative of hypertension and of meriting treatment. Blood pressure ca 120/80 mmHg is deemed to be normal (normotensive). Although hypertension may be a secondary consequence of problems elsewhere, e.g., renal failure, the vast majority of cases of hypertension have no proximal and discrete cause. This is called essential hypertension and is a major focus of research in behavioral medicine. This is easy to understand given the prevalence and health consequences of hypertension. It is estimated to affect 15% and 20 % of the adult population in Western countries, with worldwide prevalence being around 10%. Concern with hypertension also reflects its association with coronary heart disease and stroke; the results of many studies testify that as blood pressure rises, so life...
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Beevers, D. G., & MacGregor, G. A. (1995). Hypertension in practice (2nd ed.). London: Martin Dunitz.
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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, New York
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Carroll, D. (2013). Hypertension. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_459
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_459
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2
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