BLOOD PRESSURE 3 OBESITY An estimated 65 percent of Americans are overweight, and 31 percent are obese. The expanding girth of the American public has led to expanding rates of hypertension, as well as insulin resistance and chronic kidney disease. Sadly, this trend of obesity shows no signs of abating. METABOLIC SYNDROME Also known as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions that includes: obesity, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Individuals who are unfit and overweight are at twice the risk of developing high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. STRESS Living in our fast-paced world, most of us are all to familiar with stress.Yet, stress can send our blood pressure through the roof.The body responds to mental, emotional, physical, and environmental stress by generating a powerful hormone called cortisol. Cortisol pushes stored reserves of sugar, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals into the bloodstream to the areas of the body that need them most. If stress is extreme and/or prolonged, cortisol levels stay elevated.This can lead to unhealthy behaviors that can increase the risk of hypertension. WHO BECOMES HYPERTENSIVE? • High blood pressure does not discriminate: It affects every social class, every race, and every age. However, certain groups are especially vulnerable to hypertension, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: • Men over 45 years old and women over 55 face a higher risk of hypertension than younger people. • Men are more susceptible to hypertension than women. • African Americans are more likely to experience high blood pressure than white Americans. • Those living on or near the poverty line are more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who are not poor. • People with diabetes face a higher risk of hypertension. • Overweight people are more likely to have high blood pressure.