It is known as the “silent killer.” Her lethal attack goes straight to the most vital centers: the heart, kidneys and brain. So silent that a stroke can be the first…or perhaps the last notice.
It is characterized by the narrowing and rigidity of the blood vessels and consequently forces the heart to pump blood to the body. Some 10 million Colombians have the disease and most do not even know it. 80% of the children of mothers or fathers with high blood pressure may suffer from the disease at some point in their lives.
It is defined as repeatedly elevated blood pressure, regardless of the cause. “How it usually only presents symptoms until it manifests itself and many times it does so in a catastrophic way. For example, some people only know they have the disease when they have a stroke. Therefore, a periodic control of blood pressure is recommended”, affirms the cardiologist and electrophysiologist, , of the Medical Center.
For this reason, detecting it is not easy. Although there are many causes, the hereditary component is very predominant for its development. Its appearance is also associated with obesity, and in many cases with the consumption of high amounts of salt in daily food.
“The disease increases with age, therefore its percentage is higher in older age groups,” says Dr. Negrete.
In some cases, a person with high blood pressure often has a headache, dizziness, or nosebleeds. On many occasions, the presence of the disease is only known when the measurement is made, which indicates the indicated force that the heart must exert to push the blood and the pressure on the arteries.
“If there is no adequate control, heart failure, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke and thrombosis) and even chronic renal failure can occur, with severe damage to the body’s arteries in general and retinal vessels,” says the specialist.
According to the specialist, high blood pressure hardens and thickens the renal blood vessels, which reduces the blood supply to the kidneys. At the same time that it damages kidney tissue, it affects the function of these organs. “If the kidneys lose the ability to remove waste products from the body, they retain salt and fluids,” explains Negrete.
The disease is also associated with obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, excessive consumption of alcohol and high presence of salt in the diet. For this reason, it recommends, among preventive measures, the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits, such as physical activity and a low-calorie diet rich in fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, and legumes.
“The truth is that physical exercise on a regular basis, losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption, suppressing cigarettes and reducing the intake of fats of animal origin, are also the most important measures to counteract the disease”, highlights the internist and cardiologist, Gilberto Castillo. (Watch box: “Bad habits and worrying figures”)
and cWhen changes in lifestyle do not produce the desired effects, the patient with high blood pressure must take medication under medical order and supervision.
According to Dr. Castillo, the illness It is more common in the black race. This group exhibits twice the prevalence than the general population, aseems earlier in life and it is more severe.
If the disease is not controlled in time, it can damage vital organs such as the brain (stroke and thrombosis), the heart (left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure), the kidneys (chronic renal failure), the eyes (retinopathy hypertensive, glaucoma).
The most worrying thing, according to specialists, is that more than 55% of hypertensives do not receive any treatment and the percentage of patients controlled or treated does not exceed 45%.
According to the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, in Colombia the prevalence among the population over 15 years of age is 12.6%, constituting the first risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, the second cause of death in men and women over the age of 45 years.
The World Health Organization, WHO, establishes that “the optimal systolic blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg and less than 80 mm Hg for diastolic, while arterial hypertension corresponds to figures equal to or greater than 140 mm Hg for systolic pressure and 90 mm Hg for diastolic pressure”
The main objective in the management of arterial hypertension, according to doctors, is to prevent the appearance of cardiovascular complications and reduce morbidity and mortality from these causes. For this reason, it is essential to identify the cardiovascular risk factors of each patient from the beginning and establish measures to reduce them, while controlling blood pressure figures.
If you have risk factors, it is better that you see your doctor so that he or she can assess you for the warning signs and the repercussions of the disease on the so-called target organs, such as the retina, kidneys and heart, in addition to the careful measurement of blood pressure.
BAD HABITS AND WORRYING FIGURES
Among the risk factors for heart attack in his order are hypertension, sedentary lifestyle and smoking. Of the almost 10 million Colombians who are hypertensive, half are unaware that their blood pressure levels exceed the recommended 120/80 millimeters of mercury and less than a million have the disease under control.
Most Colombians do not know that high blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke. A survey carried out in nine Latin American countries, including Colombia, showed that 65% of those interviewed were unaware of the direct link between hypertension and stroke or cerebral thrombosis.
“People are unaware of it because it is a silent disease, that is, it has no symptoms. This contributes to the fact that those who have it are not even aware of the complexity of the risks.
In Europe and even in the United States, thanks to health promotion campaigns aimed at the community and medical groups, today 34% of hypertensives have their blood pressure controlled.
The rhythm of life in the contemporary world, according to Dr. Castillo, has led man to adopt unhealthy habits such as a sedentary lifestyle, diets rich in fat (fast foods), smoking and stress, which have become factors directly related to the hypertension and cardiovascular problems.
Obesity and overweight appear among the great threats. According to the WHO, more than a billion people worldwide are overweight and it could increase by 50% in the next ten years.
There are 136 Colombians who die every day from heart attacks. Every year, some 50,000 people die from heart problems, while 30,000 die from violence, according to the Colombian Society of Cardiology.
“The most worrying thing is that in the world the rates of morbidity and death are decreasing, in Colombia they are increasing. Our habits are becoming less healthy and we don’t do prevention either.
According to the World Health Organization, WHO, and the Colombian Society of Cardiology, in the 1990s only 5% of affected people were under 40 years of age. today 25% of heart attacks occur in people under 40 years of age, that is, the incidence has multiplied by five.