Aging also causes hyaline degeneration of the tunica media of arterioles, reducing lumen size. Further, decreased baroreceptor sensitivity may contribute to increased sympathetic nervous system activity and elevated levels of norepinephrine.

About 45% of the elderly in the United States have systolic blood pressures of 160 mm Hg or higher and diastolic pressures of less than 90 mm Hg-a condition known as isolated systolic hypertension. Generally, this condition reflects a disease process resulting in lost elasticity of the aorta and its large branches. Other than advanced age, this condition is the greatest risk factor of endocrine disease in elderly patients.

Endocrine Disorders

Pheochromocytoma, an abnormal growth of new tissue on the adrenal medulla, produces excessive catecholamines, causing hypertension. These tumors occur most commonly in patients ages 40 to 60, and about 90% of them are benign.

A patient with pheochromocytoma may experience severe headaches, profuse sweating, palpitations, and pronounced pallor caused by a sudden release of catecholamines resulting in a hypertensive crisis. These attacks can be triggered by physical activity, postural changes, emotional distress, hypoglycemia, and surgical trauma. An attack may also be provoked when the tumor is palpated.

If left untreated, a patient with pheochromocytoma can develop diabetes, cardiomyopathy, and hypertension, any of which can result in death. The usual treatment is surgical removal of the tumor, which relieves hypertension in about 75% of patients. The remaining 25% can usually manage their hypertension with antihypertensive drug therapy.

Caused by excessive aldosterone secretion of the adrenal gland, primary hyperaldosteronism is another endocrine disorder that causes hypertension. This condition is more common in women ages 20 to 50. Suspect it in hypertensive patients who have hypokalemia and don’t take diuretics.

The three causes of primary hyperaldosteronism are unilateral adrenocortical adenoma, adenomatous hyperplasia, and adrenocortical carcinoma. Unilateral adrenocortical adenoma alone causes 80% to 85% of the cases of primary hyperaldosteronism.

Physicians typically treat primary hyperaldosteronism by surgically removing the tumor. Unfortunately, surgery generally doesn’t cure hypertension resulting from adenomatous hyperplasia.

Cushing’s syndrome, another cause of hypertension, results from either prolonged treatment with large doses of glucocorticoids or excess cortisol production by the adrenal cortex, which is most commonly caused by a pituitary tumor. In either case, hypertension results from the mineralocorticoid effects of the hyperfunctioning adrenal tissue. When a pituitary tumor causes Cushing’s syndrome, the usual treatment consists of surgical removal. Hypertension can also be caused by acromegaly-a chronic metabolic condition resulting from excessive production of growth hormone in the anterior pituitary. The condition is characterized by enlargement and elongation of the bones of the face, jaw, and extremities. Although one­third of patients with acromegaly have hypertension, it’s usually not severe, and the treatment of acromegaly-surgery, radiation, and drugs-usually alleviates the hypertension.

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Hyperlipidemia commonly results from hyper­tension. Hypertension injures the endotheliallining of the arterial wall. And this damage promotes platelet aggregation and lipid deposits, leading to intracoronary atherosclerosis and plaque formation.

Patient preparation

To obtain accurate test results, tell the patient to fast for 14 hours before the test. He may drink water during the fast, but he should abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages before the test. Also, he should avoid exercising immediately before the test.

The patient should maintain a stable diet and lifestyle for 2 weeks before this test. An acute illness or an exacerbation of a chronic illness can cause inaccurate test results. Also, certain drugs­such as antilipemics, oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, and diuretics-can interfere with the test results.

Test Implications

High levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol can indicate the development of CAD, as can low levels of HDL cholesterol. A patient’s risk of CAD also increases when elevated triglyceride levels appear in conjunction with high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels.

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Usually men are unable to carry forward a balanced diet as they do not get enough time to maintain the dietary recommendations. So, they lose tremendously on their health chart; complain of insomnia and constant fatigue along with the experience of low energy levels. To combat this very problem that pertains to men’s health, there are various health supplements that are available in the market now. These health supplements can also be availed online very easily.

On the consumption of these supplements, men’s health can be easily taken care of as they contain adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins. Some of them also have great anti oxidant properties, fatty acids, meal replacements and energy bars that aid in improving the health of men. As the men today are also conscious about their looks, various supplements that can cater to the enhancing of their skin color and texture can also be availed.

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Estrogen, when used as a postmenopausal replacement therapy, increases blood pressure in some women. All women receiving hormone replacement therapy should have their blood pressure routinely monitored.

Cyclosporine, which is used as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ rejection in transplant recipients, causes vasoconstriction and reduces renal blood flow. Cyclosporine also increases the reabsorption of sodium, water, and urea and has a direct toxic effect on the nephrons. Vasoconstriction and sodium retention lead to hypertension in 50% to 70% of organ transplant recipients taking cyclosporine and in about 20% of nontransplant patients taking the drug for other reasons. Similarly, corticosteroids used to produce immunosuppression in organ transplant recipients can cause hypertension.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, which are used for treating depression, can cause a severe hypertensive crisis. This condition results from an interaction of the MAO inhibitors with foods such as cheese, bananas, beer, wine, yeast, yogurt, and meat extracts containing tyramine, dopa, or serotonin. Patients who use MAO inhibitors should have their blood pressure monitored regularly.

Erythropoietin-a hormone that acts on bone marrow cells to stimulate red blood cell (RBC) production-causes increased blood pressure in one-third of patients with end-stage renal disease. Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, erythropoietin may increase systemic vascular resistance by increasing blood viscosity and reversing hypoxic vasodilation.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase blood pressure by blocking the production of prostaglandins in the kidneys, which leads to sodium and water retention. These drugs also antagonize the effects of some antihypertensive drugs, such as diuretics, by blocking sodium excretion. And NSAIDs cause vasoconstriction by affecting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. African-Americans, diabetic patients, and the elderly are most vulnerable to the effects of NSAIDs. Keep in mind that the elderly commonly use NSAIDs for arthritis.

Cold remedies, nasal decongestants, and appetite suppressants also can cause hypertension. Generally, cold remedies and nasal decongestants are powerful vasoconstrictors that increase systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Appetite suppressants such as amphetamines, however, increase blood pressure by stimulating the CNS. Other types of appetite suppressants, such as dexfenfluramine, can cause primary pulmonary hypertension without affecting systemic blood pressure. Patients with advanced atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, or moderate to severe hypertension shouldn’t take appetite suppressants.

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Coronary Artery Disease

Hypertension is the main risk factor for developing CAD from atherosclerosis. With hypertension, atherosclerotic plaque forms in the inner lining of the artery at an accelerated rate. As the artery narrows, more force is needed to pump blood through it, creating an even further elevation in blood pressure.

Cerebrovascular Accident

Hypertension is also a serious risk factor of CVA. In fact, hypertension is a leading cause of transient ischemic attacks and CVAs resulting from cerebral thrombosis, intracerebral hemorrhage, and emboli.

Cerebral arterial hemorrhage can occur when progressive atherosclerotic changes take place and blood pressure increases in the affected vessels. Eventually, smooth blood vessel tissue is replaced with fibrous tissue, causing vessel walls to become thicker and more rigid. But the vessels also weaken because of intense constriction of the cerebral arterioles and arteries, resulting in the development of microaneurysms that tend to rupture easily.

Renal Disease

Hypertension also leads to end-stage renal disease. During the early stage of hypertension, the capillary basement membrane of the glomeruli becomes thickened by atherosclerosis. Hypertension then causes a gradual destruction of the glomeruli, tubules, and nephrons. At first, a patient’s glomerular filtration rate may remain normal, but scarring eventually occurs, causing renal failure. Although most hypertensive patients have some degree of renal dysfunction, African-American hypertensive patients have the greatest risk of developing end-stage renal disease.

Retinopathy

Hypertension can also cause retinopathy. The resulting retinal changes are categorized in four stages of increasingly severe vessel damage.

Usually, the early stages go undetected because the patient has no significant signs or symptoms to report and no apparent reason to seek medical attention. However, if his hypertension is left untreated and his condition progresses into the later stages of retinopathy, he may develop retinal lesions, which can cause blurred vision, or papilledema and retinal hemorrhaging, which can result in blindness.

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These are the wise people who opt for Nueslim diet pills those have got a reputation of the best diet pills in the market today. This does not mean they are out of reach for common man. They are very much affordable even for online transactions and can reach your doorstep with your instructions.

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The volcano vaporizer is specially designed to meet your requirements of optimal temperature and active ingredients to be released. That’s why the vaporizer is an apt choice for allergies, asthma, skin diseases, arthritis, for which specific herbal remedies work wonders. Just put the specific herb in the heating chamber, the vaporizer acts to melt it at low temperature and releases active ingredients that you smoke after released. This is done without giving rise to combustible waste, a fact for which the vaporizers are famous.

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Your relation with your spouse is always special and you want to cherish your wedding for whole life. The pearls exactly depict the crystal clear relations that do not have even a smallest blot. That’s why pearls jewelry is an apt choice for any wedding. No wonder couples are crazy for the priceless pearls jewelry that is displayed online in amazingly huge galleries. The pearl necklace that your bride will sport during wedding definitely will catch attention of everyone. In this era of minimalism, no one likes to sport gaudy jewelry even on weddings. Pearls make the perfect jewelry for such occasions.

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