FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PRIMARY HYPERTENSION RISK
A
number of factors contribute to boring old primary hypertension. Some of these
factors, such as age and genetics, are out of your control. But many of them
aren’t. Although a healthy way of life may not always eliminate high
blood pressure, it almost always makes a difference. In fact, the small
choices you make every day often mean the difference between taking one
prescription drug versus two or three.
·
Obesity. Obesity is a major risk factor for high
blood pressure because it creates stress and inflammation in the body, both of
which can lead to hypertension. In fact, fat tissue is a functioning organ, and
when you have too much of it, it can produce chemicals and hormones that drive
blood pressure up. Excess body fat
may also have a directly toxic effect on the kidneys, which are critical in
regulating blood pressure. And the heavier you are, the more sensitive you are
to the blood pressure–raising effects of salt.
·
Exercise. The life of a couch potato is a fast track
to hypertension. Screen time ups the likelihood of high blood pressure. In fact,
a British study found a 10% increase in hypertension risk with every hour of TV
watched per day. Regular exercise
can have a major impact on blood pressure. Simply adding two and a half hours
of exercise to your week can lower blood pressure by 5 to 10 points, even if
you don’t lose a pound. This same amount of weekly exercise also cuts your risk
of heart attack, stroke, and dementia by at least 30 %. If you’re taking
medication to lower your blood pressure, you may find that after a while of
exercising 150 minutes per week, you need less medication to keep your numbers
in line.
·
Smoking. In the minutes and hours after you light up, smoking
just one cigarette can send your blood pressure soaring by as much as 20
points. Over the long term, smoking stiffens the walls of your arteries, which
directly raises blood pressure. Smoking also has a
directly toxic effect on the kidneys, which are involved in blood pressure
regulation. That’s one reason why smokers with hypertension are more likely to
develop kidney failure.
·
Alcohol. In moderation, alcohol appears to be protective for
the heart and the brain, cutting heart attack and stroke risk by a third or
more. Although red wine appears to have extra health benefits because of its
powerful antioxidant effects, any sort of alcohol appears to be beneficial to
the heart and brain — again, as long as you enjoy it in moderation.
·
Stress. Stress can mean different things to
different people. Some people thrive on the stuff, but for most folks, too much
stress can have some pretty negative effects on health, including blood
pressure. Also, stress can cause
high levels of hormones such as adrenaline to pour into the bloodstream,
immediately raising blood pressure and heart rate. Although no proof indicates
that chronic stress actually causes hypertension, good evidence suggests that
it can make preexisting high blood pressure worse.
·
Family history. You have a say in a lot of things, but
your genes aren’t one of them. At least 200 genes are associated with
hypertension, and combinations of these genes, along with diet and lifestyle,
appear to be involved in its development.
·
Age. As you age, your blood pressure naturally
tends to run higher. In general, the likelihood of high blood pressure
increases about 10% with every decade over the age of 50, such that by the age
of 90, about 90% of people are hypertensive. That’s mainly because of
stiffening of the arteries, which typically causes high systolic pressure with
relatively normal diastolic pressure.
For Further Details Contact
Jessie Alison
Website: https://hypertension.cardiologymeeting.com/
Any queries Email us at: hypertension@healthconferences.org
Jessie Alison
Website: https://hypertension.cardiologymeeting.com/
Any queries Email us at: hypertension@healthconferences.org
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