Hypertension and Cardiovascular disease?
Written by: Marcos Otero, Retired Physician Associate
February is heart month. Let us discuss one of the major cardiovascular diseases – specifically hypertension.
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease involves multiple problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and hardening of the arteries. Essentially, the arteries are blocked by plaques, which harden and cause blockage. Clots can form, causing heart attacks or strokes.
Heart attacks happen when a clot blocks the circulation supplying the heart. The part affected becomes injured and lacks oxygen.
What are the risk factors for cardiovascular disease?
- Tobacco use.
- High blood pressure.
- Obesity.
- High cholesterol.
- Lack of exercise.
What is hypertension, and what causes it?
Hypertension is blood pressure higher than 120 (systolic) and 80 (diastolic). Primary hypertension is idiopathic, but there are risk factors that contribute to its development. These include family history of hypertension, age, gender, race, and high intake of salt. Other causes include smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol use, being overweight, thyroid problems, and kidney problems. The use of drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine can cause it as well.
What are the effects of high blood pressure?
Hypertension can cause hardening of the arteries, or arteriosclerosis, due to the collection of fats, restricting blood flow to the legs, kidneys, brain, and heart. This can result in chest pain, kidney failure, heart attack, and aneurysms. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, causing the left ventricle to stiffen, limiting the ventricle’s ability to pump blood to the body. This can cause sudden cardiac death, a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function, or heart failure, a condition in which the heart muscles weaken, work less efficiently or wear out. Hypertension can also undermine the brain’s blood vessels, causing blood clots and blood vessels to narrow and leak, resulting in a stroke. Narrowing of arteries can reduce the ability of the kidneys to remove toxins, and the kidneys can stop functioning with time.
Treatment
Treatment for high blood pressure may include medications and lifestyle changes, such as following a healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and managing stress.
How can I prevent cardiovascular disease?
- QUIT SMOKING! Tobacco is a major risk factor. By quitting, you can reduce your risk to that of non-smokers within 5 years. But it’s not just about quitting-it’s also about making positive changes.
- Eat heart-healthy foods like those high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in saturated and trans fats.
- Exercise 30- 60 minutes four to five times weekly.
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep.
- Keep your blood pressure controlled.
These are not just recommendations, they are the keys to a healthier, happier life.
