Skip to content

Hypertension FAQs

What is hypertension?

If you have recently been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) you should take it seriously, but there are positive steps you can take. The odds are good that most people will have high blood pressure in their lifetime. In fact, 90% of people with normal blood pressure at age 55 are at risk for developing high blood pressure as they get older.1 It’s important to know that even though high blood pressure is quite common, it is still a dangerous condition that should be monitored closely by a doctor.1

Back to top

What is normal blood pressure?

Normal blood pressure is less than 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic)—written as 120/80.1

Back to top

What causes high blood pressure?

For 85%-95% of people with high blood pressure, the cause of their high blood pressure is not known. In rare cases, high blood pressure can be caused by kidney problems, alcohol use, or birth control pills.1

Back to top

What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?

The risk of developing high blood pressure increases as you get older. People with relatives that have high blood pressure are more likely to develop high blood pressure. African Americans have a very high rate of high blood pressure compared with Caucasians.2

People who regularly eat food that is high in salt are more susceptible to high blood pressure. Being overweight also puts you at risk for many illnesses, including high blood pressure.2

Studies have shown that people with heightened anxiety, intense anger, and suppressed expression of anger were more at risk of developing high blood pressure.3

Back to top

What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?

People with high blood pressure usually experience no symptoms unless their blood pressure is extremely high, or if they have had high blood pressure for a long time. In these cases, damage may occur in major organs, such as the heart, brain, and kidneys, as well as the small blood vessels in the eyes.5 It’s important to remember that if left untreated, high blood pressure may lead to serious complications.5

Back to top

How is high blood pressure diagnosed?

During a regular physical exam, a doctor or other healthcare provider uses a sphygmomanometer to check blood pressure. This common device should be familiar to you: it consists of a cuff fastened around the arm, attached to a bulb. The cuff is fastened around your upper arm, and then the doctor inflates the cuff by squeezing the bulb. The doctor then releases the air from the cuff, and listens with a stethoscope for the first heartbeat that can be heard. The pressure at which the first heartbeat is heard is called systolic blood pressure. The pressure at which the doctor can no longer hear the heart sound is called diastolic blood pressure.1

Back to top

What are the stages of hypertension?

Prehypertension is a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 to 139/89. Stage 1 hypertension is defined as 140-159/90-99. A blood pressure above those levels is considered Stage 2 hypertension.6

Back to top

What is the prognosis if I’m diagnosed with hypertension?

If high blood pressure is well controlled, most serious complications can be avoided. However, for people with very high, uncontrolled blood pressure, serious problems could develop. Coronary artery disease and stroke are the most common causes of death for people with very serious high blood pressure.6

Back to top

Where can I get hypertension support?

It helps to have someone in your life who understands your condition and why you have to make these lifestyle changes. Make sure you share your feelings with people you love and get their support. You may even want to find a support group in your area.

Hypertension can be a very serious condition, but with the help of your doctor, you can keep it from causing other health issues so that you can live a healthy and happy life.

Back to top

What are the treatment options for hypertension?

People with high blood pressure are urged to change their diet, exercise regularly, quit smoking, and generally lead less stressful lives. If these changes to your lifestyle aren’t effective enough, your doctor may prescribe a medication like BYSTOLIC.

While medications work well for most people and they can be extremely helpful in certain cases, not all medications work for everyone. If you feel that you are experiencing problems with your current medications, please speak with your doctor.

You should know that even with medication, making healthy lifestyle choices is not only recommended to help lower your blood pressure, it may also help improve your overall health and make you feel better.

Back to top

Click here to learn more about high blood pressure treatment options.
Click here to learn more about BYSTOLIC.

What conditions are related to hypertension?

Hypertension is a risk factor itself for many more serious conditions. A description of these more serious conditions can be found below.

BYSTOLIC is a prescription medication approved for the treatment of hypertension and is not approved to treat any of the below conditions.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). In CAD, fat, plaque, and blood clots build up in the arteries. This blockage narrows the arteries, allowing less blood to get to the heart. In time, the accumulated blockages can completely restrict blood flow to the heart, causing acute coronary syndrome (ACS).1,7

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Acute coronary syndrome includes angina, which is aching or discomfort in the chest, and heart attack (also called myocardial infarction or MI). This year, about 1.2 million Americans will have a heart attack. Heart attack is the leading cause of death in the US.8,9

Heart Failure (HF). Heart failure is defined as any change in the pumping function of the heart, along with symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, or fluid buildup in the abdomen.1 HF affects about 5.7 million people in the US. And while high blood pressure is a very common risk factor for HF, diabetes ] is also a large factor, especially in women.10

Stroke. A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts suddenly, or is blocked by a blood clot. Without oxygen from the blood supply, brain cells in the area of the broken blood vessel die within minutes.8

Renal Failure (RF). Chronic renal failure is the slow deterioration of kidney function. The kidneys are organs in the middle of your back, just below the rib cage, that filter waste from the bloodstream. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the most common causes of kidney disease (not RF specifically) are diabetes, and high blood pressure.8

Back to top

Next: Talking to your doctor about hypertension

Talking to Your Doctor

High Blood Pressure is often called the “silent killer.”

Is your blood pressure too high?

Learn More About BYSTOLIC

Find out more about BYSTOLIC, a beta blocker for the treatment of hypertension.

BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) Important Safety Information
*BYSTOLIC is only approved for the treatment of hypertension.

References: 1. Merck Research Laboratories. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 18th ed. Whitehouse Station, NJ. Merck & Co., Inc., 2006. 2. Mayoclinic.com. High blood pressure (hypertension). Risk factors. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/DS00100/DSECTION=risk-factors. Accessed November 12. 2008. 3. Barsky AK. Psychiatric and behavioral aspects of cardiovascular disease. In: Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2005: 2129-2144. 4. Mayoclinic.com. High blood pressure (hypertension) symptoms. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/DS00100/DSECTION=symptoms. Accessed November 12, 2008. 5. Familydoctor.org. High blood pressure: things you can do to lower yours. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/heartdisease/risk/092/html. Accessed November 12, 2008. 6. National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7). May 2003. NIH Publication No. 03-5233. 7. Texasheartinstitute.org Coronary artery disease. Available at: http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Topics/Cond/Coronaryarterydisease.cfm. Accessed November 12, 2008. 8. American Heart Association. Know the Facts, Get the Stats 2007. Dallas, TX. 2006. AHA Publication No. 55-1041. 9. WebMD. Acute coronary syndrome topic overview. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/acute-coronary-syndrome-topic-overview. Accessed November 12, 2008. 10. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2008 Update. Dallas, TX. 2008. AHA publication No. 55-1049. 11. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Your kidneys. Available at: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yourkidneys. Accessed November 12, 2008.