Diseases related to hypertension
March 24, 2021
Diseases related to hypertension
This time we talk about high blood pressure. There are often blood pressure machines installed not only in hospitals, but also in pharmacies, gyms and swimming pools. That’s how many people are concerned about their blood pressure, and how important it is to know your own blood pressure.
High blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to other diseases and symptoms, and furthermore, it can be life-threatening.
So, what kind of diseases does it lead to exactly? The following is a brief explanation of high blood pressure and diseases caused by high blood pressure.
What is high blood pressure?
First of all, blood pressure is the pressure applied to the inside of blood vessels.
In order to circulate blood throughout the body, the heart applies pressure like a pump to pump blood through the blood vessels. This pressure is called blood pressure. If the pressure is too low, the blood cannot circulate throughout the body, so a certain amount of pressure is necessary, but if the pressure is higher than necessary, it is called high blood pressure.
There are two types of blood pressure, systolic and diastolic, and you may often hear people say, “the top is XX and the bottom is XX…”. In this case, the top is systolic blood pressure, or the blood pressure when the heart is contracting and sending blood, and the bottom is diastolic blood pressure, or the blood pressure when the heart is dilating and sending blood back.
Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure are important numbers, so it is not enough to pay attention to one or the other.
Hypertension is further divided into the following three levels.
Adult Blood Pressure Classification: Systolic Blood Pressure / Diastolic Blood Pressure (Unit: mmHg)
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Mild hypertension (I-degree hypertension): 149-159 and/or 90-99
Moderate hypertension (II degree hypertension): 160-179 and/or 100-109
Severe hypertension (III degree hypertension): 180+ and/or 110+.
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Blood pressure fluctuates even when you are living a normal life. It can go up even if you walk a little fast for a few minutes, so there is nothing to panic about even if your blood pressure is in the high blood pressure range. However, if your blood pressure is chronically high at any time, you may have high blood pressure.
Chronic high blood pressure means that the blood vessels are being subjected to more pressure than necessary, which can damage them. This can lead to various diseases.
Diseases Related to Hypertension
Most hypertension is basically related to arteriosclerosis. Simply put, arteriosclerosis is a condition in which blood vessels in the arteries become hardened and are unable to pump blood properly.
If the blood vessels of the heart become clogged due to arteriosclerosis, for example, angina pectoris or myocardial infarction will occur. And if the blood vessels in the brain become clogged, it can cause cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage. In the case of cerebral hemorrhage, even high blood pressure can cause it.
Just hearing the words “myocardial infarction,” “cerebral infarction,” or “cerebral hemorrhage” is a scary disease. However, these diseases can be fatal if not detected in time. Therefore, it is important to remember that chronic high blood pressure can lead to the risk of life-threatening diseases, especially the important heart and brain diseases. Please refer to my previous article on arteriosclerosis.
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Giraffe Blood Pressure
Let’s talk about blood pressure and brain hemorrhage.
You are all familiar with the giraffe, right? Giraffes have the longest necks of all mammals, and adults can grow to be over 4 meters tall. This means that the giraffe’s heart must have very high blood pressure in order to pump blood to the brain, which is 3-4 meters away.
So the giraffe’s maximum blood pressure is a whopping 240 mmHg! However, giraffes with this high blood pressure sometimes lie down due to illness or injury, which causes cerebral hemorrhage and death. When they lie down, they don’t need the high blood pressure to pump blood to the brain, so high blood pressure can cause brain hemorrhage.
That’s why I tell patients with cerebral hemorrhage, “This is the blood pressure of a giraffe. It’s dangerous, so let’s treat it properly”.
Finally
High blood pressure not only leads to aging of blood vessels, but also leads to very scary diseases. This is because hypertension is also related to oxidative stress. However, mild hypertension can be cured by improving your lifestyle. If your blood pressure is high, it is a good idea to review your lifestyle.
This website also introduces the relationship between vascular aging and oxidative stress, so please refer to it.