Hypertension

A persistently elevated blood pressure, over 140 mmHg systolic pressure, 90 mmHg diastolic
Common in obese individuals because they have more "miles" of blood vessels than thin people.
Hypertension slowly strains the heart and damages the arteries. A person can remain asymptomatic for 10-20 years, then suddenly drop dead.
Prolonged hypertension is the major cause of heart failure, vascular disease, renal failure and stroke
90% of hypertension cases are primary or essential hypertension, which has no discernable cause. There are suspected factors however: diet (sodium, fat or cholesterol intake; potassium, calcium or magnesium deficiencies), obesity, age, race, genetics, stress or smoking

there is no cure for primary hypertension, but it can be controlled through diet, weight loss or drugs (diuretics, sympathetic nerve blockers, calcium channel blockers)

secondary hypertension has obvious causes, such as atherosclerosis, endocrine disorders (Graves’ disease, Cushing’s disease), or excessive renin secretion by the kidneys. Treatment is directed at the cause.