What Is the DASH Diet?
1. Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a chronic condition where the blood pressure in the arteries is abnormally elevated. While it may not cause symptoms, if left untreated for a long time it is a risk factor for heart failure, coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, vision loss, and dementia. It is thought to affect as many as 50 million individuals in the United States while this number soars to 1 billion globally.
The higher the blood pressure, the higher the likelihood of kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. It has been estimated that for individuals between 40 to 70 years old, an increment of 20 mmHg in systolic or 10 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease.
