If high blood pressure is left untreated, the risk of ‘myocardial infarction and stroke’ increases
Blood pressure management for high-risk groups with ‘family history, obesity, drinking, smoking’
When body temperature rises due to heat, blood vessels in the body expand, causing excessive sweating, which can lead to dehydration, and rapid temperature changes can increase the burden on the heart, etc. Hypertensive patients are at a higher risk of developing stroke, which occurs when blood vessels supplying blood to a part of the brain become blocked (cerebral infarction) or burst (cerebral hemorrhage), so they must be especially careful not to let their blood pressure rise and fall too much.
According to the medical community on the 13th, high blood pressure is the main cause of fatal cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and cerebral hemorrhage, which are the most common causes of death in the elderly. Especially in the 50s, when health management becomes a red light, early diagnosis through regular checkups, rapid treatment, and blood pressure management through healthy lifestyle habits become more important.
According to the Korean Society of Hypertension’s treatment guidelines, hypertension is classified as systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher (home blood pressure of 135/85 mmHg or higher). In addition, when systolic blood pressure is 130-139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure is 80-89 mmHg, it is defined as prehypertension and management begins.
The number of patients with high blood pressure continues to increase. According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, it will increase by 14.1% over the past five years from 6,542,792 in 2019 to 7,466,596 in 2023. Son Il-seok, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, said, “High blood pressure rarely has symptoms other than high blood pressure, and in most cases, the cause is unknown.” He added, “High blood pressure with no cause or symptoms is more dangerous because high blood pressure itself causes fatal damage to various organs.”
If high blood pressure continues for a long time, various complications can occur in various parts of the body. These include fatal complications such as heart attack or stroke. The heart requires more strength when the pressure in the blood vessels is high. When the heart is strained, the heart wall thickens, and if this condition continues, heart failure can occur.
High blood pressure also causes problems in the blood vessels (arteries) throughout the body. It can lead to cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, which can lead to death in severe cases. It also causes problems in the kidneys. In many cases, high blood pressure damages the kidneys, causing protein to leak into the urine or leading to chronic kidney disease.
The exact cause of high blood pressure is not known, but family history, smoking, drinking, obesity, high salt intake, and lack of exercise are known to be major risk factors that increase blood pressure. If you are at high risk for high blood pressure, you should check your blood pressure regularly. In particular, high blood pressure in middle-aged women is closely related to menopause. Estrogen, a female hormone, has a vasodilating effect, but when hormones decrease due to menopause, the vasodilating effect also decreases, causing blood vessels to contract relatively, which increases blood pressure.
In order to manage high blood pressure, it is most important to accurately measure blood pressure. Even among patients with high blood pressure, there are cases where there is a large difference in blood pressure between the clinic and at home, so it is important to accurately measure blood pressure at home.
If there is a history of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, in your family, or if your blood pressure measured at work or nearby is consistently over 135/85mmHg, you should suspect hypertension. If your blood pressure is consistently high, you should visit a nearby hospital or health center for consultation. If your blood pressure is very high and you have other symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, or shortness of breath, you should visit a hospital.
Treatment of hypertension requires drug therapy, but it is also important to eliminate risk factors in daily life. Patients who are diagnosed with hypertension for the first time can lower their blood pressure by improving their lifestyle habits. They should meet with their doctor regularly to discuss whether to take drug therapy to lower their blood pressure.
In particular, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential to preventing high blood pressure. Professor Son said, “Active aerobic exercise, a low-salt diet and a healthy diet centered on vegetables rather than meat, weight loss, quitting smoking, and moderation of drinking are necessary.” He added, “Young people, especially those with a family history of high blood pressure and cerebrovascular disease and risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, obesity, and hyperlipidemia, need to maintain even healthier lifestyle habits, and it is important to frequently measure their blood pressure.” If you have high blood pressure or higher than normal blood pressure (systolic blood pressure of 120 mmHg or less and diastolic blood pressure of 80 mmHg or less), improving and managing your lifestyle is even more important to prevent complications of high blood pressure and to prevent the onset of high blood pressure.
◆High blood pressure prevention rules
1. Reduce fat in your food, eat lots of vegetables, and eat lightly seasoned food.
2. Maintain your weight by exercising moderately every day to avoid gaining weight.
3. Quit smoking and drinking alcohol.
4. Avoid stress and maintain a calm mind.
5. Measure your blood pressure regularly and see a doctor.
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2024-08-13 12:37:48