An active and healthy life, the best remedy for high blood pressure

Hypertension (HTA) is a chronic disease that involves the persistent increase in blood pressure levels.The causes of hypertension are varied, and is related to non-modifiable factors such as age (men from age 40 and women after menopause) or blacks, and modifiable factors such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity and the high-salt diet. In addition, hypertension may be secondary to other diseases, especially renal vascular disease, polycystic kidney disease, renin - producing tumors, endocrine causes or obstructive sleep apnea.

What are your symptoms? You can not give any?

The main problem of hypertension, as well as other cardiovascular risk factors, is that, in many cases, no symptoms of any kind, and the patient spends a long time interval until diagnosis with subsequent involvement of target organs as the heart, kidney or the retina. Sometimes you have nonspecific symptoms, such as headaches, which help experts in Cardiology in diagnosis.

Risks of high blood pressure health

Hypertension is a risk factor of the first magnitude. WHO (World Health Organization) places it as the first factor in overall mortality, above dyslipidemia and diabetes. In fact, at present, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Spain. However, hypertension is a disease treatable. If the doctor's recommendations are not followed you can trigger serious complications, such as bleeding or cerebral thrombosis, myocardial infarction, etc., which can be avoided if properly controlled.

Risk factors for hypertension and its relationship with lifestyle

The main risk factors are related to our lifestyle. Sedentary patient anyone who does not perform regular exercise with a high salt intake in the diet, smoking or overweight patients are more likely to develop hypertension. From the 40 it is much more prevalent in men but after menopause, the prevalence is equal in both sexes.

To avoid HTA we lead an active life with regular exercise (150 minutes per week), avoid salt intake, remove the smoking ..., and in those patients at risk, recommend HBPM ( Blood pressure).

Groups more likely to suffer high blood pressure

All those with genetic load, in which their relatives are hypertensive, people with stress level maintained, sedentary, smoking, with little Mediterranean diet ... in all of them there is a greater propensity to suffer hypertension.  

Treatment of hypertension and results

There are two large blocks of treatment:1) Improved lifestyle: healthy diet, reduce calorie intake of sugars and fats, and increase physical exercise. These two practices have resulted in better weight control and it is well controlled, it is a simple way to control hypertension.2) Drug treatment: If changes in lifestyle may not work, today there are drug treatments that are very helpful in controlling blood pressure. Since it is a chronic disease, it is essential that the patient is consistent with the treatment and self-monitoring their blood pressure figures.

Edited by Patricia Crespo Pujante