Hypertension
Hypertension is a symptom, not a disease, arbitrarily defined as sustained elevated blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 mmHg (“arbitrarily defined” because problems associated with high blood pressure occur on a continuum with no obvious threshold of where risk begins, including the prehypertension range of 120-139/80-89 mmHg. Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Hypertension is associated with shorter overall life expectancy, shorter life expectancy free of CVD, and more years lived with CVD. People in middle age who experience increases or decreases in blood pressure have higher and lower remaining lifetime risks for CVD, respectively. Prevention efforts should emphasize the importance of lowering blood pressure and avoiding or delaying hypertension to reduce the lifetime risk of CVD.