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 Dr. Rajasekhar Varma
Adult Interventional Cardiologist,
Aster Medcity, Kochi It was at an evening out with his friends at the local social club that
Mr. Nair, a 43 year old accountant in a trading firm in Kochi, casually
mentioned that his office had organised a health check up which had
revealed that he had high blood pressure. Brushing aside a friend’s
suggestion to consult a specialist, he allayed their fears by saying he
felt fine and doctors just like to scare people so that they start
taking medicine.
Dr. Rajsekhar Varma, Consultant Adult Interventional Cardiologist at
Aster Medcity in Kochi says, “This is quite a common phenomenon and
many times people ignore a doctor telling them they have hypertension
or high blood pressure. One of the main reasons for ignoring a warning
about hypertension is that patients feel fine without any symptoms in
the initial stages of hypertension. An individual can have hypertension
for many years without any physical problems from the condition. That
is why it is known as a ‘silent killer’!”
The term ‘hypertension’ refers to an increase in the force that the
blood exerts against the walls of the blood vessels as it flows through
the blood vessel. The two factors which affect the blood pressure is
the amount of blood pumped by the heart and the resistance faced by the
blood as it flows through the arteries. The more the blood pumped by
the heart and the narrower the arteries, the higher will be the blood
pressure.
Hypertension is a common condition and studies in India have shown that
around 30% of adults suffer from hypertension with marked increase in
urban areas as compared to rural India. The risk of hypertension
increases with age. Risk also increases if an individual is overweight,
has a family history of hypertension, has wrong food habits, leads a
sedentary life and smokes or drinks alcohol.
Dr. says, “Disregarding hypertension is dangerous. Hypertension puts
extra strain on your heart and blood vessels, which if left untreated
can lead to significant health problems. Complications resulting from
uncontrolled high blood pressure can include permanent and significant
disability.”
Dr. lists out the top ten risks of ignoring hypertension.
- Damage to the arteries, which may harden and thicken under
the increased pressure.
- Aneurysm, which occurs when a part of an artery in the
brain balloons out from the continuous pressure. This can lead to a
rupture and a stroke.
- Stroke, which is the result of reduction of blood supply to
the brain due to blockage from a clot or rupture of an aneurysm.
- Heart attack, from the hardening or thickening of arteries
leading to blockage.
- Congestive heart failure, when the heart has to pump blood
against the higher pressure leading to thickening of the heart muscle
and eventually leading to failure of pumping enough blood to met the
body’s needs.
- Kidney failure, from damage to the small blood vessels in
the kidney which stops the kidney from working properly. In an advanced
stage, will require regular dialysis and kidney transplant.
- Loss of vision, from damage to the small blood vessels in
the retina of the eye.
- Metabolic syndromes, from associated high levels of
insulin, increased levels of cholesterol and fat deposition around the
waist. These increase the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease
and stroke.
- Trouble with memory and other mental problems like
confusion, headaches, convulsions and even dementia.
- Sexual dysfunction in the form of impotence can also occur
in long standing cases of hypertension.
So on this World
Hypertension Day, let’s resolve to have a regular check up for
hypertension especially after the age of 40. And if hypertension is
detected, to start management in the form of lifestyle modification and
treatment with appropriate medication immediately to prevent the
‘silent killer’ from making the next move!
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