High Blood Pressure – A Factor Contributing to Heart Disease

Statistics show an alarming rise in the number of patients afflicted with cardiovascular diseases who are aged between 16 to 25. Ask any cardiologist in Bangalore, and he will admit how an increasing number of youngsters are falling prey to heart attacks.

High Blood Pressure (HBP) and Heart Attack – The Analogy

Heart Failure is a condition when one’s heart is not able to supply sufficient blood to the body and can take more time to generate it within the body. The blocking and shrinking of blood vessels caused by high blood pressure (hypertension or HBP) accentuate one’s probability of suffering heart failure. High blood pressure (HBP) is considered to be a slow poison. It affects you furtively, showing no apparent indications but can make your heart vulnerable. High Blood Pressure can strain one’s heart to a great extent. And if left undiagnosed, it can damage the arteries leading to stroke, heart attack, heart failure. Visit any cardiologist in Bangalore, and you will get the same feedback.

Generally, any heart hospital in Bangalore will state the interrelation between High Blood Pressure (HBP) and heart failure. They are as follows :

    • High blood pressure exerts pressure on your heart - Shrunken arteries lose their elasticity and make the smooth flow of blood difficult exerting severe strain on your heart.

    •  An increased workload causes the enlargement of the heart with time – An increased workload causes the heart to thicken and become larger, which consequently reduces its capacity to pump blood. An enlarged heart struggles to cater to your body's need for nutrients and oxygen.

Measurement of blood pressure

Blood pressure is measured as 2 numbers and recorded as a ratio.

    • Systolic - The upper number of the ratio is the greater of the two, which is also the measurement of the pressure in the arteries during the heartbeat.

    • Diastolic - The lower number of the ratio is the lesser of the two, which is the also measurement of the pressure in the arteries between two consecutive heartbeats.

Our blood pressure increases with every heartbeat and drops when our heart relaxes between beats. The rate of blood pressure can vary with alterations in exercise, posture, sleep or stress. It should generally be less than 120/80 mm Hg for a woman who is 20 years of age or more.

The evaluation of numbers for measuring blood pressure

    • Normal - Lower than 120 systolic and lower than 80 diastolic

    • Elevated - 120-129 systolic and lower than 80 diastolic

    • High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1 - 80-89 diastolic or 130-139 systolic

    • High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2 - 140 systolic or higher than it or 90 diastolic  or higher

    • Hypertensive Crisis - greater than 180 or more than 120 diastolic

How to prevent High Blood Pressure

A good heart hospital in Bangalore will advise you to adopt a few natural ways, which will bring your blood pressure under control.

    • Daily exercise or walking strengthens our heart and helps us to lose weight increasing its efficiency at pumping blood, thus lowering the pressure in our arteries.

    • You must lower your consumption of sodium to decrease your blood pressure.

    • Cut back on your consumption of alcohol as it will help in bringing down your blood pressure.

    • Eat food with high potassium content such as bananas, vegetables, tomatoes, oranges, nuts, beans, etc.

    • You must get rid of your caffeine addiction and give up smoking.

    • One of the key reasons for having high blood pressure is stress. You must learn to cope up with stress so as to keep your blood pressure under control.