Hypertension and the Heart
What is hypertension?
Hypertension is the clinical term for high blood pressure. It is a disease where blood travels through the body's vessels, and the pressure of that blood causes it to press against the walls of the blood vessels in a turbulent manner. Approximately 50 million people in the United States live with hypertension - though many remain undiagnosed and/or untreated. Those particularly at risk include the overweight, men over 55 years old, women over 65 years old and people with a family history of high blood pressure. More than two thirds of people over 65 years old have hypertension and this older population has the lowest rate of blood pressure control.
What are its effects on the heart?
The continued exposure to high pressure on the walls of the blood vessels leads to vessel damage. This, in turn, can cause strokes and other cardiovascular events. These events include enlargement of the left ventricle, angina, heart attack and heart failure. It also affects other parts of the body, such as the brain causing stroke; the kidneys causing chronic kidney disease; arteries causing peripheral arterial disease; and the eyes causing retinopathy (damage to the retina). Ultimately, if left untreated, hypertension can be a silent killer.
How can you combat the negative effects of hypertension?
Taking charge of one's lifestyle by losing weight, exercising, adopting a DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet), reducing salt intake and moderating alcohol consumption are a great way to combat hypertension, but often they are not enough. If a medical practitioner feels a patient needs medication to control high blood pressure, patients must take the medicine consistently and safely. A medical practitioner may find it suitable to order one medication or multiple prescriptions to control the increased blood pressure. These drugs may include diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, direct vasodilators or others. A practitioner chooses the type and amount of treatment according to certain pre-existing medical and lifestyle factors of the patient, ensuring the prescriptions are tailored to each individual.
Hypertension does not have a quick, one-visit cure - it is a chronic disease and can not be treated with one doctor's appointment. It must be watched closely and hypertension patients must maintain a close relationship with their medical practitioner to effectively manage the disease.
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