Franklin Roosevelt was born into an aristocratic American family. His
childhood was one of wealth and privilege. He had very little in common with the trials
and tribulations of the average American youth. He later became America’s only fourterm
president and served in that capacity during a particularly tumultuous period of
American history. President Roosevelt suffered from hypertension. His blood pressure
rose steadily as he led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II. The
medical professionals of Roosevelt’s era did not have a very thorough understanding of
hypertension. Fortunately, there are many effective medications available today for
those who are hypertensive. There has been considerable research performed since the
1940’s which has greatly expanded the medical community’s knowledge of
hypertension and its effects.
Keywords: Diastolic, diet, FDR, high blood pressure, hypertension, hypertensive
crisis, prehypertension, stage 1 hypertension, stage 2 hypertension, systolic, The
Great Depression, thiazide diuretics, Warm Springs, World War II.
