According the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, more Americans than ever are being treated for hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. A huge factor in the increase appears to be the obesity epidemic in the United States.
 
A study found the percentage of Americans with high blood pressure rose from 50.3 percent to 55.5 percent in four years, and individuals with pre-hypertension increased from 32.3 percent to 36.1 percent in the same time period. Although more people have their high blood pressure under control, the percentage of of hypertension is increasing drastically.
 
Hypertension is the second leading cause of kidney disease.

This article originally appeared in the November 2008 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.