Isolated systolic hypertension is a condition associated with arteriosclerosis.  As we age, or bodies and all of the organs and tissues age as well. A common issue associated with aging is the hardening of the arteries which is known as arteriosclerosis. In the case of the arteries hardening, they are not as capable of expanding under pressure which leads to a cardiovascular issue which has been dubbed, isolated systolic hypertension. Furthermore, more than 70% of persons who are over the age of 65 and have high blood pressure suffer from isolated systolic hypertension.

For the longest time it has been believed that the body can tolerate the occasional increases of systolic pressure and therefore most of the research into high blood pressure has been focused mainly on the diastolic pressure reading as it is the diastolic which is most noted as causing organ damage.

Today though, it is understood that having a high systolic pressure can also be a very bad thing especially in those who are over 50 years of age and are suffering from arteriosclerosis. It is this isolated systolic hypertension that is associated with strokes, heart disease and even kidney failure. The ultimate goal for any one who is suffering from isolated systolic hypertension is to lower their systolic pressure below 90 mmHG. The biggest hurdle associated with this though, is that the vast majority of medications available will also lower the diastolic pressure as well. If the diastolic pressure is normal and then goes too low because of the treatment of isolated systolic hypertension, there can be some very dangerous complications that may arise.

This form of high blood pressure is known to cause a variety of ailments which can include things from a stroke all the way to chronic kidney disease as well as the possibility of kidney failure. The higher pressures associated with the isolated systolic blood pressures means that inside the sensitive organs of our bodies like the brain, kidneys, heart and even the eyes will be too high and although the arteries themselves which may be hardened can handle the increases in pressure, the soft tissue found in all of our important organs cannot.

Furthermore, there has been shown to be a direct correlation between diabetes and isolated systolic hypertension. In the cases of persons suffering from both, those who have managed to lower their systolic pressure also sees a lower risk of diabetic complications.

The most common treatment for isolated systolic hypertension is the prescription of diuretics that include blockers, beta-blockers as well as ACE inhibitors. The ultimate goal no matter how you look at it though is to lower the systolic pressure to a safe level and in return you can be rewarded with a longer healthier life. Catching high blood pressure early on is also a very important aspect as the sooner it is discovered, the easier it will be to remedy the condition.

Tags: atherosclerosis, isolated systolic hypertension, systolic hypertension, systolic hypertension and pulse pressure

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 5:17 am and is filed under Types of Hypertension. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.