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The force of pressure exerted by the blood flow over the blood vessels is called as Blood pressure or BP in short. Hypertension i.e. Increasing blood pressure puts high pressure over the heart and blood vessels of vital organs leading to organ damages like heart attack and stroke.
As per the latest international guidelines BP over 130/90 in < 60 years of age and 140/90 is >70 years is considered as hypertension requiring medical intervention.
Hypertension is mainly classified as
Primary Hypertension
Secondary Hypertension
Gestational Hypertension
Other than these White coat Hypertension and Resistant Hypertension are also important subtypes.
This is usually asymptomatic and is diagnosed at random in routine checks. Henceit is highly recommended for patients with family history of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and smokers to monitor their BP regularly.
Eating a healthy diet low in salt and saturated fats
Regular exercise
Maintaining a healthy weight
Quitting smoking
Limiting alcohol intake
Managing stress
In addition to lifestyle changes, medication may be prescribed to help lower blood pressure.
Rise in blood pressure secondary to obstructive sleep apneas, intrinsic renal dysfunction or renal vascular dysfunction and adrenal defects is usual sudden and is treated along with treatment of the basic pathology.
To manage secondary hypertension, the underlying condition must be diagnosed and treated. In addition, lifestyle changes such as those recommended for primary hypertension may also be helpful.
If you have high blood pressure, it is important to work with your healthcare provider to develop a treatment plan that works for you.
Pregnancy-induced hypertension affects maternal and foetal health.
Pregnancy-safe anti-hypertensive agents and timely delivery under obstetrician supervision is usually the rule. But a significant percentage of patients do require prolonged anti-hypertensive post-delivery.
This is usually seen with young patients with anxiety and is a condition where a person's blood pressure reading is higher in a healthcare setting than at home.
However, it is still important to monitor blood pressure readings and work with healthcare providers to develop a treatment plan if necessary
It is one where by definition it requires more than 3 anti-hypertensive drugs to control BP including a diuretic. Usually seen in patients with poor drug compliance, severe obesity and multi-factorial hypertension.
These factors may vary but can include:
Poor medication adherence
Secondary hypertension (caused by an underlying medical condition)
Obesity
Sleep apnea
Chronic kidney disease
Excessive alcohol consumption
Certain medications or supplements
To manage resistant hypertension, it is important to identify and address any underlying causes or contributing factors.
This may include lifestyle changes such as weight loss, regular exercise, and a healthy diet low in sodium and saturated fats. In addition, medication adjustments or changes may be necessary to help control blood pressure.
It is important for individuals with resistant hypertension to work closely with their healthcare provider to develop a comprehensive treatment plan.
Any increase in blood pressure primarily requires changes in lifestyle with taking adequate rest from physical and mental stress, weight loss, salt restriction followed by regular physical activity.
Anti-hypertensive medications typically are focused on relaxing blood vessels, pouring out more fluid in urine, relaxing heart muscles and reducing body’s sympathetic drive.
The choice of agent depends on patient profile and analysis of different organ functions.
(Dr Natasha Kumrah , MBBS, MD-General Medicine at Ruby Hall Clinic.)
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