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Hypertension is a silent killer because it is deadly and has no significant early symptoms. The danger from hypertension is the extra load on the heart, which can lead to hypertensive heart disease and kidney damage. This occurs without any major symptoms until the high blood pressure becomes extreme. Regular blood pressure checks are an important method of catching hypertension before it can kill you.
In 1864, the first barbiturate (barbituric acid) was synthesized.
Human stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve small pieces of metal such as razor blades or staples.
Nitroglycerin is used to alleviate various heart-related conditions, and it is also the chief component of dynamite (but mixed in a solid clay base to stabilize it).
Human kidneys will clean about 1 million gallons of blood in an average lifetime.