Anti- hypertensive activity of Ayurvedic medicinal plants

The pressure exerted on the wall of arteries by the strength of the contraction of the heart is called Blood Pressure.1 Hypertension is a lifestyle disease that is characterized by abnormally high arterial blood pressure that is usually indicated by an adult systolic blood pressure of 140mm Hg or greater or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater.2 It is chiefly of unknown aetiology but may be due to a pre-existing condition such as a renal or endocrine disorder, that typically results in a thickening of arterial walls and hypertrophy of the left heart ventricle.3 Uncontrolled hypertension is a risk factor for various pathological conditions such as heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease and retinal haemorrhage.4 The disease has been appropriately nicknamed ‘silent-killer’ because in most patients hypertension does not have any symptom and usually goes unnoticed.5 Hypertension is a global health problem. Worldwide, approximately 26.4% of the adult population in 2000 had hypertension (26.6% of men and 26.1% of women), and 29.2% were projected to have this condition by 2025 (29.0% of men and 29.5% of women). The estimated total number of adults with hypertension in 2000 was 972million; 333million in economically developed countries and 639million in economically developing countries. The number of adults with hypertension in 2025 was predicted to increase by about 60% to a total of 1.56billion.6