Every third adult Pole has hypertension. If left untreated, it can lead to death

The latest data from the National Health Fund show that almost 10 million adult Poles have arterial hypertension. This is one third of the adult population. We have already informed about the scale of this disease, based on the results of the National Health Test of Poles. Untreated high blood pressure leads to very serious diseases, and can even be fatal.

1. Every third adult Pole suffers from arterial hypertension
2. Hypertension is one of the most common civilization diseases and the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases
3. And cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in Poland
4. Hypertension is often asymptomatic. So what should we pay attention to?
5. We can feel the signals in the head, heart, limbs and mental sphere
6. More information on interesting information can be found on the Onet homepage

Every third adult Pole has hypertension

May 17 is the World Day of Hypertension. On this occasion, the National Health Fund presented an update of the report on this disease. The study shows that in 2020 9,94 million adults suffered from arterial hypertension. This is almost a third of adult Poles. Most patients are aged 55-74.

According to the National Health Fund, in 2018 nearly 5,8 million patients benefited from hypertension services. The National Health Fund allocated over PLN 258 million for them. 55,2 million prescriptions for 127,9 million packages of drugs used in hypertension were fulfilled. In 2018, the fund paid over PLN 1,2 billion for their reimbursement, i.e. about 14 percent. entire pharmacy refund budget.

The most serious causes of high blood pressure are obesity, excessive salt consumption, stress and genetic factors. It is estimated that in Poland in 2016 obesity was related to 23 percent. women and 25 percent. men over the age of 20. By 2025, this percentage will increase to 26 and 30 percent, respectively.

Hypertension – the scourge of our time

Hypertension, known as the “scourge of our times”, is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. And cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in Poland.

We wrote about the scale of this disease during the presentation of the National Health Test of Poles, which was attended by several hundred thousand people (in 2020 over 400 thousand, in 2021 – 340 thousand). In last year’s test, 25% declared hypertension. surveyed Poles, a year earlier it was 26 percent.

Increased blood pressure often does not give symptoms (which we write about later in this article), so it is very important to check it regularly. We should do it prophylactically at least once a year. Young people do it far too seldom.

According to NTZP 2021, 76 percent did so in the last year. respondents. Blood pressure in the last 12 months was checked by 63 percent. people aged 18-24, 73 percent. aged 35-44 and 90 percent in the group of people over 65 years of age.

As you can see, blood pressure is measured more often as you age.

57 percent of respondents in 2021 declared normal blood pressure, 19 percent was in the upper range of the norm with the so-called pressure high correct, while 7 percent. has high blood pressure. Blood pressure is not controlled by as much as 7 percent. Poles.

As the expert commented on the results of NTZP 2021?

prof. dr hab. n. med. Piotr Jankowski

Cardiovascular diseases, especially ischemic heart disease, heart failure and strokes, constitute the most important threat to the health of Poles (they account for 41% of all deaths in Poland). This is mainly due to the unhealthy lifestyle of many Poles (sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food choices, exposure to tobacco smoke), the influence of unfavorable environmental factors (e.g. low quality of the air we breathe), but also insufficiently frequent assessment of the risk of cardiovascular disease in the Polish population, and in many cases of the lack of treatment of the diagnosed diseases.

If diseases such as hypercholesterolaemia or hypertension are not diagnosed, they cannot be treated, directly increasing the risk of serious health problems and reducing life expectancy.

What can high blood pressure lead to?

Properly diagnosed hypertension and implemented treatment will avoid or significantly delay the unpleasant consequences of increased blood pressure. There are many complications related to hypertension, most of them are very dangerous to our health.

Here are the most important of them

1. development of atherosclerosis in the arteries of the heart, neck, kidneys and lower extremities;
2. myocardial infarction,
3. left ventricular hypertrophy with its subsequent failure;
4. decreased vision
5. kidney problems
6. stroke.
7. movement and sensation disorders
8. swelling of the limbs
9. deterioration of efficiency
10. deterioration of intellectual performance;

Hypertension – symptoms

The symptoms of hypertension often appear when the blood pressure is already very high, although it also happens that the symptoms never appear. That is why it is so important to check your blood pressure regularly.

What signals should worry us?

1. a feeling of heart palpitations;
2. increased sweating;
3. sleep disturbance;
4. increased excitability,
5. feeling of temporary pressure in the head, especially around the back of the head and temples,
6. palpitations,
7. noise, headache and dizziness 
8. ringing in the ears;
9. nosebleeds;
10. numbness or tingling in the feet and hands;
11. flushing and hot flushes.

When high blood pressure goes undiagnosed and untreated for too long, more symptoms develop:

1. decrease in mental and physical fitness.
2. irritability and anxiety
3. burning and pain behind the breastbone
4. shortness of breath with physical exertion).
5. memory impairment,
6.  nausea and vomiting.
7. speech disorders, 
8. paresis and paralysis of cerebral hemorrhages.

In the declining period of hypertension, also known as the descent period of hypertension, a full complex of the described organ complaints and changes is observed. During this period, arterial hypertension may be sustained at a very high level, mental and motor weakness, renal failure, visual impairment, worsening of coronary heart failure leading to a heart attack may appear.