According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that in the world there are 1,280 million adults between the ages of 30 and 79 who suffer from hypertension and that most of them (about two-thirds) live in low- and middle-income countries.
According to calculations, 46% of hypertensive adults are unaware that they have this condition, since in what is known colloquially as “the silent killer”, high pressure in the veins and arteries is not always revealed by symptoms, as common diseases do.
Only one in five hypertensive adults (21%) has the problem under control and that is why one of the global goals for non-communicable diseases is to reduce the prevalence of the disease. hypertension by 25% in 2025.
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of premature death in the world and the Dominican Republic is no exception.
Given these exorbitant numbers, in a special meeting with collaborators from Free Journalcardiologist José Joaquín Martínez shared some tips for leading a healthy lifestyle.
The first thing that the doctor specified is that for a person to be considered hypertensive, their blood pressure figures must appear equal to or greater than 140/90mmHg. Pressure is measured with a device called blood pressure cuff and the ideal value of a healthy person is less than 120/80mmHg.
To measure the pressure correctly, the person must rest for a minimum of five minutes beforehand. It is better for the patient to be seated, very relaxed, without crossing the extremities.
risks
The main risk factors are: heredity, age, race, alcohol and/or tobacco consumption, stress, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, excessive consumption of salt and fat.
On these factors, the cardiologist explained that black people are more likely to suffer from hypertension. Previously, this disease affected more men, but today women lead the percentage.
Symptoms
Although not all patients report symptomthose who do tend to have nausea and vomiting, headache, feeling hot, shortness of breath, double vision, neck pain, nose bleed, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), profuse sweating, effusion in eyes and fainting.
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What happens if it is not treated?
When the pressure is too high, it can rupture blood vessels in the brain and cause a Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA).
In addition to the brain, it also affects the heartkidneys, eyes and arteries.
How could I keep my pressure stable?
Dr. Martínez recommends reducing salt, having an appropriate weight for height, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol or the intake of many caffeinated beverages, as well as sugar.
It also asks to include in the lifestyle a regular exercise plan to burn fat and improve cardiovascular fitness.
the numbers that matter
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85% of deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) are due to problems heart attacks or strokeswhich are closely linked to risk factors such as hypertension which is responsible for half of these deaths and the dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels) that accounts for 4.4 million deaths a year, accounting for 24% of CVD-related deaths.
As part of the education, awareness and prevention effort towards the population, AstraZeneca launched the initiative “Numbers that Matter”, which spreads the importance of controlling all body measurements that can cause serious health problems if they are altered, allowing people to better understand the hypertension high blood pressure and cholesterol.
The fundamental objective is to increase efforts to prevent, diagnose and control the five numbers that matter every day: blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, cholesterol, and a healthy weightwhich will help each person make conscious decisions and avoid future complications such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, and chronic kidney disease, among others.
It is important that each person perform routine tests, know their numbers and consult with their doctor to treat their risk and choose treatment options,” said Esteban Coto, AstraZeneca’s Medical Director for Central America and the Caribbean.
