Risk factors for hypertension

Risk factors for arterial hypertension must be known, since their presence provokes the development of pathology.

Hypertension is considered a disease of our time. It is preceded by a wrong way of life and the abuse of bad habits.

The causes of essential arterial hypertension are difficult to establish. It is possible to determine the problem that served as the beginning of pathological indicators of blood pressure only with symptomatic or secondary hypertension. In the presence of certain factors, the risk of developing hypertension disease increases significantly.

What is hypertension and how does it manifest?

Arterial hypertension is a persistent increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This happens as a result of narrowing of the lumen of the arteries and arterioles.

Spasm is the cause of vasoconstriction. Frequent spasmodic phenomena provoke a thickening of the vascular wall, which greatly complicates the movement of blood from the heart to the organs and tissues of the whole body.

In such a state, the heart needs to increase its productivity, throw a larger volume of blood into the bloodstream, since only in this case it will be possible to saturate each cell with oxygen.

In such cases, seizures occur periodically:

• dizziness;
• nausea;
• weaknesses.

People attribute all these symptoms to overwork or bad weather, but it is in this state that you need to measure blood pressure and listen to your body.

If you start the disease, then further treatment will be complicated. Therefore, it is worth regularly measuring pressure, and if it increases, seek medical help and take special medications.

The symptoms of hypertension appear when the high pressure affects the target organs.

During this period, note:

• frequent dizziness;
• vision loss;
• noise in the head;
• deterioration in general health.

Internal changes are manifested by thickening of the wall of the left ventricle, and then an increase in the size of this chamber of the heart.

With a severe degree of hypertension, the factors for the development of complications increase, which manifest themselves:

• heart attack;
• failures in the rhythmic work of the ventricles;
• heart failure;
• hemorrhage in the brain.

With the development of left ventricular dysfunction, the patient is often worried about:

• dyspnea;
• congestive heart failure;
• pulmonary edema.

From the side of the visual apparatus:

• visual acuity decreases;
• light sensitivity changes;
• blindness appears.

The risk of pathologies from target organs increases:

• with the wrong lifestyle,
• in the absence of effective treatment;
• in case of non-compliance with preventive measures.

Risk factors for the development of pathology

In the case of hypertension, invariable causes that increase a person's risk of high blood pressure include:

• genetic predisposition;
• belonging to the male sex.

Heredity is considered a determining factor when weighing the risk of developing hypertension. The chances of the onset of the disease depend on whether one or both parents suffer from a persistent increase in pressure, whether there are still close relatives in the family who have also been overtaken by this disease.

Among all interviewed patients, more than 30% of the mother or father suffered from arterial hypertension. Despite the fact that the gene responsible for the development of hypertension has not been identified, the genetic factor plays an important role in the likelihood of an increase in blood pressure.

Nationality plays a big role. Thus, it has been found that African Americans are more susceptible to the development of hypertension than Europeans or Asians.

This fact is related:

• with the habits of peoples (physical activity, dietary habits and lifestyle in general);
• with environmental factors.

If we compare the risk of developing the disease in women and men, then the latter under the age of 55 are more susceptible to high blood pressure. In this case, the hormonal background plays a key role. Before a woman's menopause, the hormone estrogen is the body's main defense against blood pressure problems.

After a woman stops menstruating, her hormonal levels are completely reversed. In old age, the risk of developing hypertension in men and women levels off, and sometimes the percentage of women suffering from high blood pressure becomes much higher than the percentage of sick men.

Risk factors that a person can change are:

• overweight;
• bad habits;
• malnutrition;
• frequent stress;
• snore.

Violation of the diet and non-compliance with the balance of the daily menu are the main factors contributing to the appearance of problems in the work of the cardiovascular system. Excessive salt intake during the day, exceeding the permitted 5.8 g / day, can also be attributed to this group.

The body will be constantly overloaded if the diet is based on the following products:

• fatty and fried foods;
• flour and confectionery products;
• coffee, tea with a few spoons of sugar;
• semi-finished products and meat.

As a result of this, the food will not be digested enough and instead of useful saturation and filling the body with energy, a person after eating will feel very tired and apathetic.

Cholesterol and other harmful substances that come with food disrupt blood circulation processes:

• cholesterol plaques are deposited on the inner wall of blood vessels:
• they narrow the lumen of the arteries and interfere with the normal flow of blood.

Modern technologies contribute to the fact that people lead an inactive lifestyle. A person spends all his working time at a computer desk, and his free time - at a TV, the Internet or in a bar with a mug of beer. Such a pastime negatively affects the state and functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Bad habits, smoking and alcohol abuse, together with the risk factors listed above, cause significant damage to human health. Most often, by smoking or drinking, a person tries to drown out mental disharmony, stress and nervous tension, but instead of the expected calm and tranquility, the nervous system is subjected to additional negative effects.

In addition, smoking, as well as frequent stress, helps to reduce the elasticity of the vascular wall. This happens due to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, affects the internal organs and causes them to work harder. Also, during stress, processor hormones are released into the blood. They contribute to the increase in resistance of arterioles.

Improper nutrition, an inactive lifestyle and the abuse of bad habits lead to obesity, and this is a direct path to the development of hypertension with all the ensuing consequences.

Risk factors for secondary hypertension

Symptomatic hypertension is a consequence of pathological processes in the body, respectively, the response of the cardiovascular system to these disorders.

With pathologies of the kidneys, vasorenal hypertension develops. It is diagnosed by narrowing of the renal artery due to its atherosclerotic lesion or fibromuscular hyperplasia.

In this case, the pressure rises due to the increased production of hormones (angiotensin and renin) by the kidneys, which, interacting with the adrenal hormone (aldosterone), contribute to an increase in vascular resistance and their spasm.

Renovascular hypertension occurs predominantly at a young age or as a relapse of the disease in the elderly.

The following diseases also increase the risk of developing hypertension:

• inflammatory process in the glomeruli of the kidneys;
• inflammation of the parenchyma of the kidneys;
• the formation of stones in the urinary system.

With these pathological processes, the balance of hormones in the body is disturbed. High blood pressure and kidney function are closely related, therefore, with a frequent increase in blood pressure, you need to check the condition of the kidneys on ultrasound and pass the necessary tests that determine the amount of angiotensin and renin in the blood.

Tumors of the adrenal glands contribute to a high risk of developing arterial hypertension. The hormones produced by these paired glands affect the readings of blood pressure in the vessels. Treatment of pathology of the adrenal glands is their removal - adrenalectomy.

With aldosterone, the concentration of the hormone aldosterone in the bloodstream increases blood pressure, and an excessive amount of potassium is excreted in the urine. With the development of a pheochromocytoma in a person, an increase in pressure is caused by the release of adrenaline into the blood (contributes to vasospasm).

Such attacks are accompanied by:

• redness of the skin;
• increased sweating;
• hot flashes;
• increased heart rate.

Factors in the development of hypertension in childhood are associated with pathologies of the heart and aorta.

The most common cause of high blood pressure is coarctation of the aorta. This pathology manifests itself immediately after birth and consists in narrowing the lumen of the main vessel in the body - the aorta - in a certain area (mainly at the place where the renal arteries depart from the aorta). This contributes to the appearance of disorders in the renal blood flow.

Pathologies of the thyroid gland with excessive production of thyroid hormones also lead to increased heart rate and increased pressure in the vessels. Therefore, with the frequent manifestation of high rates of systolic and diastolic pressure, it is necessary to check not only the kidneys and adrenal glands, but also the state of the thyroid gland and the general hormonal background.

How to prevent hypertension factors

As a preventive measure, the following rules must be observed:

• regularly monitor changes in blood pressure;
• avoid nervous tension and stressful situations;
• prevent the appearance of excess weight and the development of obesity;
• lead a healthy lifestyle, get enough sleep and spend a lot of time outdoors;
• do not abuse alcoholic beverages, if possible, completely eliminate smoking;
• reduce salt intake;
• exercise regularly in a moderate mode;
• normalize the work regime in order to prevent emotional overload.

It will not be superfluous to resort to phytotherapy.

Among medicinal plants, preference is given to those that have:

• diuretic action (lingonberry leaves, elderberry, kidney tea, horsetail, cornflower);
• sedative action (hawthorn, valerian, motherwort, hops, lemon balm, mint);
• reduce pressure in blood vessels (hops, barberry, viburnum, hawthorn, sophora).

But you should not abuse the intake of medicinal decoctions. It is important to note that many of these medicinal plants flush out potassium from the body, so during phytotherapeutic treatment it is necessary to eat a balanced diet, “lean” on foods high in potassium.

Before taking any decoction of medicinal plants, you should consult with your doctor and calculate all possible risks of side effects or complications.