Source: doctor.ndtv.com
High blood pressure or hypertension can affect your health negatively in various ways. Many factors can contribute to high blood pressure like lack of physical activity, obesity, stress and more. Most people ignore high blood pressure and do not make any necessary changes. But do you know uncontrolled blood pressure can out your heart health at risk? There is a link between uncontrolled blood pressure and heart health. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of heart diseases. It puts an individual at a huger risk of heart diseases. The factors which contribute to high blood pressure also affect heart health. Here’s the link between high blood pressure and heart health explained by Dr. Sanjay Bhat, Consultant, Interventional Cardiology.
High Blood Pressure is considered a silent killer. It sneaks up on you, carries no symptoms and can put you at risk for heart disease. The reality is that hypertension is a condition that makes the heart work harder than normal. The excess strain and resulting damage from high blood pressure or hypertension causes the coronary arteries serving the heart to slowly become narrowed from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis. As arteries harden with plaque, blood clots become more likely to form. When an artery becomes blocked due to an accumulation of plaque or a blood clot, the flow of blood through the heart muscle is interrupted, starving the muscle of oxygen and nutrients. The damage or death of part of the heart muscle that occurs, as a result, is called a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Ways to control high blood pressure for a healthy heart
As high blood pressure is linked with serious health condition you need to make necessary precautions to control your blood pressure numbers. Dr. Bhat further explains various steps to control high blood pressure and adds, “High blood pressure is linked with serious life-threatening disorders like heart attack, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and kidney failure. Secondary hypertension is presumably curable if the underlying condition is treated or the offending drug is stopped. High blood pressure should not stop you from living your life. For most people, life will go on as before, with a few healthy lifestyle changes and some sensible precautions.” To avoid a hypertension diagnosis, make these healthy lifestyle choices:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a balanced diet
- Cut back on your salt intake
- Exercise regularly
- Limit the alcohol
- Monitor your blood pressure