Monitoring blood pressure and spreading global awareness about its life-threatening condition are vital in the fight against hypertension

Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke, heart disease, renal complications and premature death. However, very few of us have the awareness that the condition is nothing but “high blood pressure.” Yes, hypertension is commonly known as high blood pressure and can result due to many issues like family history, sedentary lifestyle, age, poor diet and stress among others. The pressure in arteries when the heart beats are known as systolic blood pressure and the pressure in arteries when the heart rests is called diastolic blood pressure. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the normal pressure level should be less than 120/80 mmHg.

You are at risk of pre-hypertension in case of systolic: 120–139 mm Hg and diastolic: 80–89 mm Hg. Moreover, hypertension is caused when the systolic is 140 mm Hg or higher and the diastolic is 90 mm Hg or higher. India has set a target of a 25% reduction in hypertension by 2025. Steps like the Indian Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) are launched by the government to increase access to the treatment of the condition for more than 220 million people in India.  May 17th is marked as World Hypertension Day. Healthcare professionals and centres come forward to organise campaigns and understand activities that help people understand hypertension, its symptoms, causes and treatments. Regular health checkups can save us from a lot of trouble similarly if blood pressure is checked in time, it can track the condition and help with the required treatment.

Unhealthy lifestyle: The obstacle to preventing hypertension!

A sedentary lifestyle and an imbalanced routine have been the cause of many critical health conditions lately. People, often in the corporate world, are so passionate about achieving unachievable results that they skip the red flags their body sends. Excessive smoking, consuming alcohol, lack of physical activities, bad diet (that includes a lot of junk and no seasonal fruits & vegetables, dairy, whole grains, protein etc) are all part o an unhealthy lifestyle. Being hooked to the screen on our palms is another reason why we are not paying attention to our routine.

Stage 1 & stage 2 hypertension. What is a hypertensive emergency?

Stage 1 hypertension occurs when the top reading ranges from 130 to 139mm Hg or the bottom reading is 80 to 90 mmHg. Whereas, Stage 2 hypertension occurs when the top reading ranges from 140 mm Hg or higher or the bottom reading is 90 mmHg or higher. People with high blood pressure have face symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, and even nosebleeds.

These are not specific to everyone and do not always occur unless the high blood pressure has reached a life-threatening level. An acute, marked elevation in the blood pressure linked with signs of target-organ damage is a hypertensive emergency. The patient in such a condition must receive emergency medical help with blood pressure numbers higher than 180/120 mm Hg. Hypertensive emergency comprises cardiac ischemia, pulmonary oedema, acute renal failure, eclampsia, aortic dissection, and neurologic deficits.

How to prevent hypertension? Who needs frequent checkups?

If not treated in time, hypertension can not only lead to heart attack but many other severe health issues. Not people with underlying conditions or a history of hypertension in the family don't need to only go for checkups. Anyone starting at the age of 18 must get their blood pressure checked at least once in two years. Further, it can be as per the doctor’s recommendation. Some people might need more frequent checkups with medications to track and treat hypertension.

(The writer is Sr Consultant Interventional Cardiologist-Department of Cardiology, Primus Super Speciality Hospital, and New Delhi)