An estimated 1.28 billion adults worldwide have hypertension. And about half don't even know they have it. That's because high blood pressure develops with no signs or symptoms...until it has caused serious damage. Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure offers information and tools to help you keep blood pressure from building to dangerous levels. By taking specific steps, you can live well with high blood pressure - and even keep it from ever forming. In this book, Gary Schwartz, M.D., tells you how. You'll learn how high blood pressure develops, what puts you at risk, how it's diagnosed and treated, and how to reduce your risk of conditions associated with it. While blood pressure naturally rises with age, it's not guaranteed that you'll develop high blood pressure - even if it runs in your family. And if you have high blood pressure already, you can take action to correct it and improve your health, all with simple, everyday choices.