Over 75 million American adults suffer from hypertension, the leading risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease. Individuals who are normotensive at age 55 have a 90% lifetime risk for developing high blood pressure. Despite increased awareness in the past decades, about a third of adults with hypertension are not aware of their condition. With the growing prevalence of obesity, hypertension will continue to affect more individuals and, along with diabetes, will become the primary cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. As part of the Oxford American Cardiology Library, this p