Hypertension

Hypertension – General Information

Hypertension is a widely spread medical condition that is commonly called HPN, HTN, or simply “high blood pressure”. Patients who are diagnosed with this medical disorder have elevated levels of blood pressure. There are two forms of this medical condition, as scientists have classified it into secondary and primary (essential) Hypertension. The former form of this disorder is generally caused by another disorder (an underlying medical condition), like tumor (paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma), kidney disorders, and so on, while the latter means that the individual’s abnormally high levels of blood pressure cannot be explained by a known medical cause. This clinical condition is considered to be quite severe, as the persistent form of this disorder is known to be one of the most important risk factors for arterial aneurysm, heart failure, heart attacks, strokes, and so on. Even a mild elevation of the individual’s blood pressure levels are known to shorten the life expectancy of the individual. Furthermore, an abnormally high blood pressure (the severe form of this medical condition, in which the patient presents a blood pressure of at least 150% than the healthy one) will radically diminish the individual’s life span: if the disorder is not adequately treated in due time, the patient will not be able to live for more than a few years. A patient is regularly diagnosed with this medical condition if his or her diastolic blood pressure levels are over 90 mmHg systolic blood pressure levels are above 140 mmHg. However, studies have shown that patients who are suffering from kidney medical conditions or from diabetes mellitus who also present a blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg or higher ought to be immediately prescribed a therapy for high blood pressure as they are more prone to developing the complications of this condition.

Hypertension – Symptoms

In its early stages, this medical condition does not trigger any noticeable symptoms. This is why most patients are diagnosed with Hypertension during a routine medical check-up. The diagnosis for this clinical condition is easily accomplished through a simple blood pressure measurement. If the disorder is not treated in its early stages, it can worsen, triggering some signs and symptoms that have been linked to high levels of blood pressure. The most common of them are: tinnitus, facial flushing, blurred vision (or other visual disturbances), dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and so on. As you can see for yourself, the early symptoms of this disorder can also be triggered by other, less severe conditions. This is why patients often mistake Hypertension’s symptoms for the signs of anxiety, stress and mental tension. The malignant form of this medical condition (also commonly referred to as accelerated Hypertension) is one of the latest stages of this clinical disorder. Patients who are diagnosed with this severe form of high blood pressure are known to widely complain of end-organ damage, blurred vision and severe headaches. Other associations include hypertensive encephalopathy (a syndrome that causes severe vomiting and / or nausea), visual disturbances, somnolence, and so on.

All patients must be aware that the mere elevated blood pressure levels are not a particular illness themselves, as they are generally caused by other medical conditions. However, this “symptom” must be kept under strict control with an appropriate therapy as it has severe long- and short-tern effects on various important organs of the human body. Patients with high blood pressure are known to be more prone to developing cerebra-vascular accidents, chronic renal failure (hypertensive nephropathy), damage to the retina (hypertensive retinopathy), heart failure, heart attack, and so on.

Hypertension – Treatment

When a patient is diagnosed with Hypertension, he or she should consider some lifestyle modifications (a treatment option that is completely non-pharmacologic). For example, studies have shown that patients with elevated blood pressure levels benefit from regular exercise (aerobics, jogging, and so on) and from weight reduction. Furthermore, most physicians are known to recommend these measures as the first steps of the therapy for the mild to moderate form of HTN. Patients with this medical condition are also advised to reduce their daily intake of salt, as a less salty diet is able to decrease the elevated blood pressure levels in more than half of the cases. Talk to your physician about the potential salt substitutes that you can use during your diet. There are other additional dietary changes that are widely recommended to hypertensive patients. The most popular is the DASH diet which includes the consumption of plenty of vegetables and fruits. Patients with Hypertension are also recommended to start a therapy with calcium or potassium supplements, to stop drinking alcoholic beverages, to stop smoking, and so on. Although the exact mechanisms have not been fully explained, it is known that nicotine and / or alcohol consumption is not beneficial at all for hypertensive individuals. Some patients with elevated blood pressure levels have benefited from relaxation therapies. The most popular of them is meditation that is able to effectively reduce stress and other causes of Hypertension. However, most of the therapy options for Hypertension that we have mentioned above also require an adjacent medication therapy in order to offer the individual a fast and effective ease. Medicines that are used in the therapy of hypertensive individuals are wide called antihypertensive drugs. The most common drugs include diuretics (such as chlortalidone, bendroflumethiazide, hydrochlorothiazide), direct renin inhibitors, calcium channel blockers (Amlodipine, Nifedipine), beta blockers, alpha blockers, ACE inhibitors and so on. A popular study, ALLHAT, has shown that the therapy with Chortalidone (a thiazide diuretic) is more cost-effective and provides a better ease of the symptoms than other similar medical products. However, other smaller studies (like ANBP2, for example) stated that ACE-inhibitors are the best therapy option for hypertensive individuals, especially in the case of elderly male patients. After carefully assessing your general health condition, your personal health care provider might also prescribe you a therapy with a non-thiazide antihypertensive medical product if he or she finds a good reason to do so. For example, diabetic individuals or patients who present symptoms of kidney disease might be prescribed ACE-inhibitors (as such medical products have proven to be able to effectively slow the worsening of the diabetic nephropathy and to keep the individual’s blood pressure levels under a strict control).