10 million Poles have hypertension. Unfortunately, most patients do not even know it. Worse still, some of those who are diagnosed do not comply with the recommendations or are not treated properly. This attitude can lead to serious problems with the circulatory system or disrupt the function of the kidneys. However, the problem of hypertension does not only concern Poles. To further sensitize doctors and patients, the American Heart Association wants to tighten and change the applicable standards.
The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and several other institutions – in a specially prepared report and due to the growing number of patients with hypertension – call for a change in the current standards. Until now, hypertension has been referred to as lower blood pressure exceeding 140 mm Hg. Now the result of the disease is 130 mm Hg.
Pressure, which is what?
Blood pressure is the force with which blood acts against the walls that make up arteries. The measurement is made by putting on the blood pressure monitor armband, because this is where one of the largest arteries in our body is located. Two numbers make up the measurement result. The first determines the pressure as the heart contracts, as the blood is pushed on its way. As this requires a lot of power, the pressure is at its highest. The second value is the so-called diastolic pressure, measured while the heart is relaxing after exercise. The optimal pressure level is assumed to be 120/80 mm Hg, and we speak of hypertension when the values are higher than 140/90 mm Hg.
What result we get depends on several factors. It matters the time of the day, emotional state or physical exertion. The fact that the heart pumping blood with varying forces is completely normal, the problem begins when the muscle is not rationally paying attention and is constantly working at high speed. Unfortunately, the disease does not give symptoms for a long time, so it is usually detected by accident during routine examinations.
As in the case of all diseases, it is also worth knowing about hypertension in advance, but Dr. Piotr Abramczyk, MD, specialist in internal medicine, cardiologist, assistant professor at the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Hypertension and Angiology at the Medical University of Warsaw, says that it can be effectively to heal basically always. – The only case when the task is clearly more difficult is the so-called hypertensive crisis, also known as malignant hypertension. The malignancy is due to the fact that sometimes the poor condition of the organism is not alarmed at all by high pressure values. The danger is that usually at very high pressure, blood vessels and internal organs to some extent get used to the situation and react to it flexibly, while in the turn, the body loses its compensatory mechanisms. The result can be swelling of the brain, rupture of the walls of the smallest blood vessels, breakdown of red blood cells and kidney failure. It is a very dangerous condition, and if left untreated, the patient may die even within a dozen or so days – says the specialist.
It heals
Hypertension can be treated in two ways – non-pharmacological and pharmacological – and usually both treatments are run in parallel. Taking medications works best in conjunction with a healthy diet, giving up stimulants (mainly smoking) and physical activity. And it’s worth the effort! Researchers have shown that by changing lifestyle, you can reduce blood pressure by 4-6 mm Hg. And for every 10 kilograms down, the pressure is 5 mm Hg lower. And even such a drop reduces the risk of heart and brain strokes!
As for pharmaceuticals, combination therapy works best. Treatment with only one specific drug, but in a large dose, may increase the likelihood of side effects, and also contribute to the activation of the body’s compensating reflexes.
Treatment of hypertension usually lasts a lifetime, and you must not be fooled by the almost standard measurements that tempt you to stop taking medication: the pressure is correct thanks to them, not in spite of it. You should also keep a permanent diary of measurements and consult them with the attending physician:
– Despite effective treatment, the most common form of hypertension, i.e. in 90% of patients with primary hypertension (for no specific somatic cause), the pressure value increases with time. If we imagine a forty-year-old patient who takes one tablet of a hypotensive drug, at the age of 60 he will perhaps swallow three tablets a day – says Dr. Piotr Abramczyk.
Who is asking…
What do we know about hypertension? It is dangerous. Maybe not in itself, but its consequences are. These include, first of all, diseases of the cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, it is arterial hypertension that is the most common cause of death among women and the second most common cause of death in men. There is also a very high risk of stroke, kidney damage and failure, severe changes in the retina (visible on fundus examination) and atherosclerosis.
So the threat is huge. Therefore, there is nothing else but to immediately obtain a blood pressure monitor, check your blood pressure from time to time, and go to a doctor when taking alarming measurements.