High Blood Pressure

For some time physicians have been impressed with the belief that many of the factors causing high blood pressure are hereditary. In 1922, a physician reported a family in which ten of the twelve members had high blood pressure, and in another instance nine members in one family died of hemorrhage of the brain due to high blood pressure. Now Doctors J. P. O'Hare, W. G. Walker and M. C. Vickers of Boston present figures for the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital of that city which indicate that in a large majority of cases the heredity factor may be demonstrated as important. The figures demonstrate conclusively, they believe, that a family history of heart, kidney and brain disease is 'twice as common in a patient with high blood pressure as in the ordinary patient who has not a high blood pressure.

It was also found that from the ages of 10 to 20, patients who later have high blood pressure are likely to be nervous, temperamental; have frequent nose bleeds, headaches, cold, sweaty hands; flushing, blushing and extreme sensitiveness. More than 42% of 300 patients with high blood pressure had had such symptoms. These facts seem to suggest that physicians and parents should watch carefully over younger members of families in which high blood pressure is common, and try to protect the growing child against the stresses and strains that seem to be important in producing hypertension.