Handbook of
Hypertension

Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD),
myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), chronic renal failure
(CRF), and congestive heart failure (CHF) in the United States and in westernized
or industrialized countries around the world. In industrialized countries, the risk
of becoming hypertensive (blood pressure [BP]
140/90 mm Hg) over a lifetime
is
90%. CHD is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for
more than 800 000 deaths per year (more than one death per minute), and CVA is
the fourth leading cause of death in the United States