HYPERTENSION. (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)
AN OVERVIEW
One commonly comes across about diseases like STROKE. HEART ATTACK, KIDNEY FAILURE, RETINAL DETACHMENT causing blindness. One of the major cause of all these presentations is HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. Also called as ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION, the general public is still unaware about the ABCD of this problem , which is rampant in the modern society. I have come across people considering Tension as Hypertension and vice versa. The confusion is to that extent that I have found people taking BP pressure medicine over the counter when in fact they have some mental tension and on the other hand people who had real Hypertension were in search of mental piece to treat their tension.
The stressful environment we live , the food we eat, the lazy lifestyle we lead has brought in the diseases of the modern world like Hypertension. Heart attack, Diabetes mellitus , Strokes as the major health problem. They are the major killers of the mankind in this 21st century. But there is a light of hope that all these diseases are to a great extent manageable . The complications are to a great extent preventable, provided the preventive steps are taken in the right time.
The state of modern technology together with the clinical skill of the doctors and the compliance of the patient plays an important role in the management of hypertension.
There is a lot of confusion about the ifs and buts regarding the high Blood pressure and being so common a problem in the modern society , I shall be talking about the frequently asked questions related to hypertension from general public point of view. In the next part of the series , I shall be discussing about the grading of High BP , the mechanism of Hypertension and the various causes of hypertension.
WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
The heart –the most vital organ of the body is akin to any mechanical pumps used for pumping oil, water etc.. This pump drives the blood to the body through the tubes known as arteries. And this flow in the arteries has a pressure head . This pressure in the systolic or contractile phase of heart is known as SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. And the pressure during diastole or relaxation phase of heart is known as Diastolic blood pressure.
A disorder characterized by high blood pressure; generally this includes systolic blood pressure (the “top” number, which represents the pressure generated when the heart beats)consistently higher than140, or diastolic blood pressure (the “bottom” number, which represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart is at rest)consistently over 90.
HOW COMMON IS THE BLOOD PRESSURE PROBLEM IN THE SOCIETY?
High Blood pressure is the most important public health problem worldwide. The number of people having high BP in our society is actually quiet high. In various Statistical studies , the incidence varies from 25 to 50% of the population. In UAE the incidence in adult population varies from 30 to 40%, more so in the expatriate sub-continent population..
Males are more prone to have high BP , the Male is to female ratio is about 1:0 .6 but at the age of 55 and above the females match or even exceed males in incidence.
Hypertension is a condition which can be very simple to diagnose and easy to manage by methods ranging from diet , physical exercise , meditation and behavioral techniques. If still the BP remains high , one resorts to medications as advised by the doctor to prevent the long term complications.
For Further information please contact:
Dr. Ashok.K.Kapoor.
M.B;B.B, MD, DM, MCCP,F.CARD
Consultant Cardiologist & coordinator
Getwell Medical Centre
Dubai.
Tel No : 0504505865.3595935
Fax No : 3559975
e-mail: ashukap@emirates.net.ae
www.getwelluae.com