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This book is for you if you have been told by your doctor that you have high blood pressure. It explains why you must immediately take preventive steps even if you feel perfectly all right. An elevated pressure may be a warning signal of a serious cardiovascular disorder in its first stage or an established chronic condition. If, and only if, high blood pressure is detected and treated in time can serious consequences like stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure be prevented.

This volume in the Medical Adviser Series tells you how you can find out whether you have high blood pressure, what your doctor can do about it, and what you yourself can do to bring it back to normal. Your doctor can help you work out a treatment plan to bring the condition under control. As a rule this plan will put you on regular medication, seek to isolate and eliminate the factors in your life that constitute a health hazard-your individual risk factors-and, if indicated, propose changes in your habits and your diet.

In its early stages 'high blood pressure is an asymptomatic disease, -i.e., a disease without overt symptoms,-yet 25% of all those who have it die as a result of it. However, if you have high blood pressure and follow the advice given here you will be able to lead a normal, productive life.