The American Heart Association estimates that one of three Americans have have hypertension. And yet many of us don’t know what it is, why it’s dangerous, and what the treatment options are.What Is Hypertension?Hypertension is a fancy medical word for high blood pressure.Your blood carries nutrients and oxygen to your body, and picks up waste like carbon dioxide. The heart pumps the blood through “pipes” - blood vessels called arteries- and the blood returns to the heart through veins.Blood pres.