High blood pressure is increasing in the U.S., and is expected to also increase the amount of heart disease and strokes in Americans in future years.

Nearly one third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure according to a large government study, which shows a 4 percent increase from a decade earlier. High blood pressure is associated with many complications including heart disease, stroke and other diseases. Dr. Amit Gupta, assistant professor of internal medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, says the increase can be attributed to two factors:

SOUND BITE: "Studies show that one likely cause was increasing weight in the population. The same survey showed that for the last decade, there has been an increasing weight ah in the population and that is accounting for at least 50 percent of the increase in hypertension. The second cause is the aging of the population. As we are all aware that our population is aging and age is associated with increasing prevelance of hypertension."

Many people are not aware that they have high blood pressure. The study found that two out of five people with high blood pressure went untreated, and more than two-thirds did not have their condition under control with medication or other means. A blood pressure reading of 140 over 90 or above is considered high and should be treated. People who have a reading of 120 over 80 are considered to have pre-hypertension, and should be carefully watched. To help prevent or control the disease, he recommends some lifestyle modifications:

SOUND BITE: ". . . regular physical activity and that might be just a 30 minute brisk walk every day. Ah changing the diet, reducing the salt in the diet, increasing the fruit and vegetables in the diet. Weight reduction and moderation of alcohol consumption will go a long way in helping control the hypertension better."

Dr. Gupta recommends that people have their blood pressure checked every 3 to 5 years, and if they have high blood pressure, they should monitor it carefully, make lifestyle changes and seek treatment from their primary care physician.