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BY HERBERT VEGO
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HAVING survived a number of bouts with hypertension in the past six years, I have learned to cope with the disease and to minimize its occurrence. Thanks to extensive research, I am now in position to echo healthful information to “beginners.”
A reading of blood pressure on a sphygmomanometer gives two numbers representing pressures inside the major arteries at two critical times. The first number is the systolic pressure inside the large arteries of the body when the heart is ejecting blood; the second number, pressure between heartbeats. Considered as the most normal blood pressure is 120 over 80 (120/80).
A person with elevated systolic or diastolic pressure (or both) may have hypertension. A healthy person at rest should have a blood pressure below 140/90 especially when he has diabetes mellitus or coronary heart disease. Elevation of the arterial pressure poses major danger to the arteries, as well as the organs they serve – heart, brain, and kidneys.
How does hypertension damage the heart and arteries?
First, because hypertension causes the heart to pump with greater force, the heart muscle thickens — a process called hypertrophy. Eventually, the thickened muscle may simply be unable to keep up with the increased blood pressure. When this occurs, congestive heart failure occurs.
Second, hypertension damages arterial walls directly, causing them to become stiff and lose elasticity. Damage to the small arteries of the kidneys may lead to kidney failure.
Third, arterial walls may be weakened, leading to ballooning of the arteries or aneurysm. Aneurysms typically involve the aorta, the largest artery in the body, and the cerebral arteries in the brain. Such aneurysms may burst, causing massive internal bleeding. When an aneurysm in a cerebral artery ruptures, it produces a stroke. Aneurysms in the wall of the heart itself may lead to heart failure.
Finally, hypertension speeds up the process of atherosclerosis, blocks the arteries and triggers a heart attack. When atherosclerosis blocks a carotid artery or vertebral artery, an ischemic stroke occurs.
Several risk factors contribute to high blood pressure. Fortunately, some of these factors are manageable. These are:
Weight: Those who are overweight are more likely to have higher blood pressure.
Salt: A diet high in salt causes some people to develop higher blood pressure.
Alcohol: One to two drinks a day is okay, but regular, heavy alcohol drives up blood pressure.
Sedentary lifestyle: Aside from its potential to raise blood pressure, inactivity also leads to weight gain, which contributes to high blood pressure.
According to the website webmd.com, many prescription and over-the-counter drugs increase blood pressure, including oral contraceptives, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, nasal and oral drugs for colds, diet pills, certain antibiotics, and some forms of antidepressants.
On the other hand, the unalterable conditions that raise the risk of developing high blood pressure include the following:
Heredity: High blood pressure runs in some families.
Age: High blood pressure becomes more common as you get older.
Other diseases: Persons with certain disorders, such as diabetes mellitus and abnormal blood fats, are more prone to hypertension.
Although these factors are considered uncontrollable, patients can avoid compounding risk by taking care of the controllable factors. Aging persons with hypertension should maintain active but non-stressful lifestyles.
Since maintenance drugs could be very expensive, mayoclinic.org recommends an alternative, preferably on doctor’s supervision, through proper diet. It is the “Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension” (DASH) diet, which refers to meals consisting of fruits, vegetables and other organic products rich in vitamins and minerals but low in saturated fats, plus skinless poultry and fish for protein.
I vouch for DASH because it has kept me writing for a living at age 67. (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
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