Risk factors for hypertension can vary depending on the type of disease. There are two types: primary or essential and secondary hypertension. The first type occurs many times more than the second: it is diagnosed in 95% of patients with hypertension and its development is associated with three groups of factors: the general condition of the body, lifestyle and heredity. Secondary hypertension affects 5% of patients and the risk factor for its development is various pathologies of specific organs. Some of the factors can be kept under control, reducing the risk of developing the disease.
Risk factors for primary hypertension.
Essential arterial hypertension is a multifactorial disease; In some cases, it is impossible to accurately determine the cause of the pressure increase. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that its symptoms do not appear immediately: the causes can undermine health gradually and imperceptibly. In addition, even in a latent state, hypertension increases the risk of developing myocardial infarction and stroke.
Health condition
One of the reasons for the development of hypertension is the deterioration of the elasticity of arterioles - small arterial vessels that carry blood to the capillaries. The state of the vascular walls is influenced by several factors:
- aging of the body;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- inheritance;
- Inflammatory processes in tissues.
Blood composition is also important for vascular health. The weakening of the circulatory system is mainly associated with diabetes mellitus. Blood glucose levels are regulated by insulin, a pancreatic hormone. If its secretion decreases or it cannot perform its functions normally, the vessels are stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system more than they dilate under the action of insulin, which leads to an increase in blood pressure.
In addition to the condition of the blood vessels, body weight influences the risk of hypertension. Obesity causes the body to need more blood, which increases the load on the heart and blood vessels. According to statistics, 85% of those who suffer from this disease have a body mass index higher than normal. If obesity is combined with diabetes, this indicates a more complex metabolic syndrome - a metabolic pathology in which the destruction of vessel walls by cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose can lead to the development of atherosclerosis.
A risk factor for the development of hypertension is also sleep apnea - cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more during sleep. This happens with intense snoring, when the airways are completely blocked due to a pathology of their structure or other reasons. Each cessation of breathing places severe stress on the body and the pressure increases to 200-250 mmHg. Art. Regular attacks lead to chronic high blood pressure.
Lifestyle
Poor lifestyle is a group of risk factors that are easier to control to prevent the onset of diseases. These include:
- unhealthy diet, which causes an imbalance in the salt balance in the body;
- lack of physical activity;
- of smoking;
- Alcohol abuse;
- Chronic stress.
Excessive consumption of table salt is a symptom that unites most people suffering from high blood pressure; Risk factors for this include both a higher sodium concentration and low potassium content. Salts affect pressure on both sides: they cause constriction of blood vessels and retain water in the body. As a result, both the volume of blood and its pressure on the walls of the arteries increase. To avoid this, it is not necessary to eat more than 5. 8 g of salt per day.
A sedentary lifestyle not only leads to obesity. With a lack of activity, arrhythmia develops: the heart weakens and, in order to pump blood in the necessary quantities, it has to beat more frequently, which increases the load on the entire cardiovascular system. During exercise, hormones are produced that strengthen the heart muscle and relax blood vessels, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure.
Tobacco increases blood pressure regardless of whether it is smoked, chewed or inhaled. The chemicals with which it is impregnated destroy blood vessels. Nicotine has a complex effect on the circulatory system: it accelerates the heartbeat, increases the load on blood vessels and narrows the lumen of the arteries. Electronic cigarettes do not save you from this negative effect, although without the carbon monoxide produced during the combustion of tobacco entering the blood, the blood vessels will continue to be healthier.
Alcohol destroys the heart muscle, causing an increase in blood pressure. Women are recommended to drink no more than 0. 5 liters of drinks with an alcohol content of 5% per day, men - no more than 1 liter before the age of 65 and no more than 0. 5 liters, after 65 years.
Stress causes alterations in the functioning of the nervous system and leads to a complex deterioration in the functioning of the body, which even affects blood pressure. In addition, it is the background for the appearance of bad habits: overeating, smoking and alcoholism, which directly increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Inheritance
Family history is especially important when diagnosing hypertension; Risk factors, as a rule, are the general environment (ecological situation in the place where the family lives) and behavior (lifestyle factors are probably transmitted from parents to children), but mainly genes. Heredity is considered the main factor in the development of high blood pressure: there are genes that cause an increase in the synthesis of renin, a kidney hormone that increases blood pressure.
Hypertension is associated with heredity in 30% of cases, so it is important to monitor the family history and write down all diseases diagnosed in close relatives (parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents); This will help evaluate the risk of developing pathology and prevent it. If there is a risk, it is necessary to control your lifestyle even more.
Knowing all of these factors, hypertension can be prevented by monitoring the development of prehypertension, a condition in which blood pressure is on the border between normal and dangerous.
| State | Pressure values (mmHg) | |
|---|---|---|
| systolic | diastolic | |
| Rule | 120 | 80 |
| Prehypertension | 120-139 | 80–89 |
| Hypertension | >140 | >90 |
To detect the disease in time if you are at risk, or monitor your health status in case of hypertension, it is recommended to measure your blood pressure twice a day: in the morning and in the evening, as well as when you do not feel well.
Risk factors for secondary hypertension
If primary hypertension develops against the background of a general deterioration in the state of the body and, in particular, the circulatory system, the risk factors for the development of secondary type hypertension are specific diseases of the kidneys, endocrine glands and Cardiovascular system.
kidney diseases
The main renal pathology that leads to an increase in blood pressure is a decrease in the lumen of the renal artery. It can be congenital or develop at an older age. The main reasons for the intravital development of pathology:
- thickening of the smooth muscles of the artery - occurs in young women;
- atherosclerosis - in old age.
Due to this disease, blood flow in the kidney worsens, resulting in increased secretion of renin and angiotensin. Together with the adrenal hormone aldosterone, they cause an increase in vascular tone and an increase in blood pressure. To treat pathology, the vessel is mechanically expanded and strengthened with a frame.
In addition, changes in hormonal levels can be influenced by chronic pathological processes in the kidneys: pyelonephritis, bladder stone formation, etc. The opposite reaction can also occur: hypertension leads to diseases of the urinary system.
Adrenal tumors
Occasionally, diseases of the adrenal glands cause increased arterial tone. These include the development of tumors that increase the production of hormones:
- Aldosteroma: produces aldosterone. In addition to hypertension, this also leads to increased excretion of potassium from the body.
- Pheochromocytoma: produces adrenaline, which speeds up the heartbeat and causes an increase in blood pressure. Additional symptoms are hot flashes, redness of the skin, and increased sweating.
In both cases the treatment consists of removing the adrenal glands.
thyroid dysfunction
In case of secondary hypertension, some diseases of the thyroid gland can be risk factors: diffuse goiter, nodular goiter. They lead to thyrotoxicosis, an increase in the production of thyroid hormones. These biologically active substances regulate the body's metabolism; When there is excess, the heartbeat increases, which leads to an increase in blood pressure.
Taking medicines
In addition to diseases, secondary hypertension can be caused by the intake of various medications and other substances. These include:
- antidepressants;
- drops and sprays for rhinitis;
- anti-inflammatory medications;
- oral contraceptives;
- corticosteroids;
- narcotic substances: cocaine, amphetamines;
- hematopoietic stimulant;
- asthma medications;
- Anti-hypertension medications: When stopped, they can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure.
If hypertension is caused by medications, you should consult a doctor and replace the medications you are taking with analogues with fewer side effects.
Other risks of developing the disease.
There's othersrisk factors for hypertension. Unlike diseases and lifestyles, they cannot be eliminated or controlled.
One of those factors is race. Research shows that high blood pressure is more common and develops earlier in blacks than in whites, Hispanics, Asians, and others.
The sex of the person also plays a role: men have a higher risk of hypertension, especially in adulthood and old age. Women are at risk during menopause and during pregnancy. The risk increases with age in both sexes. If up to the age of 29 the probability of developing the disease does not exceed 10%, between the ages of 60 and 69 it reaches 50%.
Most of the world's population is exposed to risk factors for hypertension at one point or another in their lives. In the United States, according to research, 9 out of 10 people suffer from it sooner or later, and in most cases this is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. Breaking bad habits, getting regular checkups with your doctor, and monitoring your blood pressure are the best ways to stay safe.