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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Hypertension and The Elderly According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 76.4 million American adults have been diagnosed with hypertension or more commonly known as high blood pressure (HBP). Being fairly common for the elderly, HBP has now been also diagnosed among an increasing number of youngsters. Unfortunately, not too many people do understand what really constitutes HBP. During contraction of the left lower heart chamber (LV), the highest pressure generated when the heart pumps blood into the aorta is known as the systolic blood pressure (SBP). Aorta is the major artery supplying blood from the heart to the body. The pressure falls when the LV relaxes and expands in size. The lowest recorded blood pressure is called the diastolic blood pressure (DBP). When a person’s SBP consistently exceeds 140 mmHg and/or the DBP exceeds 90 mm Hg, this person is said to be hypertensive. The difference between SBP and DBP is pulse pressure, which is usually kept about 40 mmHg for young people. It is, therefore, common for youngsters to have blood pressure readings of 100/60, 10/70 or 120/80. However, the aorta can become stiffer with increasing age, and the aorta can lose its ability to absorb the blood pressure generated during LV contraction, causing higher SBP values. The DBP also tends to be lower during relaxation of the heart chamber because the aorta has less elastic recoil. Hence, as age increases, elevation of the SBP becomes more prevalent and the pulse pressure often exceeds 40 mmHg.
Women are particularly more likely to be affected by the elevated SBP. Data from the Framingham heart study in the United States of America indicated that 78 percent of older women aged 65 years or more were affected by hypertension. The prevalence increased significantly with increasing age. Except in hypertensive crisis where systolic readings rise to 180 or above or diastolic reading reaches 110 or beyond that requires for immediate emergency medical treatment, HBP is usually symptomless. That is why many hypertensive victims are not aware of their conditions. Uncontrolled HBP can be harmful or even deadly. HBP is, therefore, sometimes referred to as silent killer. It can damage the heart and coronary arteries, and will lead to heart attack, heart disease, congestive heart failure, aortic dissection and atherosclerosis. It can also put the person at a higher risk of developing stroke, kidney damage, vision loss, erectile dysfunction, memory loss, angina and peripheral artery disease. However, this does not mean that low blood pressure is desirable. In fact, low DBP can be harmful, too. A DBP of less than 70 mmHg for the elderly carries an increased risk of heart disease, similar to that is associated with high DBP. This is because low DBP might lower blood flow to the heart muscles, causing the heart muscles to get insufficient oxygen supply. This can be aggravated if the individual also has a significant blockage of the heart artery. Although there is nothing much can be done to prevent age-related changes in the aorta, changes in lifestyle can often make a difference. Studies have shown that heart disease is increased by up to 3 times in those with hypertension, and smoking increases this risk by an additional 2- to 3-fold. For every additional 10 cigarettes smoked per day, mortality from heart disease rises by 18 percent in men and 31 percent in women. Meanwhile, all alcoholic drinks are significantly associated with high blood pressure and this is especially so if it is taken without meals. Hence, it is important for hypertensive patients to avoid under or overtreatment and stay away unhealthy lifestyle that could affect the control of hypertension. Things like eating a low-salt diet, performing regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, avoiding smoking, limiting alcoholic drinks, and taking medications prescribed by doctors, could help manage one’s blood pressure.
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