In today’s world of unavoidable stress and irregular lifestyles, High Blood Pressure (BP), or Hypertension as we call it stands to be a leading modifiable risk factor of diseases. Disturbing, as it may be, most of us remain unaware of the risks of running a High BP.

The same happened to me as well. I started researching about Hypertension only after my husband was diagnosed of it. Concerned—how to make him lead a healthier lifestyle—I started looking out for some information. The result—this piece of writing—summarizing a few disturbing realities about the disease and ways to tackle it better.

Hypertension – What it is
Blood Pressure is the resistance provided by the arteries when the heart tries to pump blood into your body. The more blood pumped and the narrower the artery, the higher is the BP. While systolic pressure corresponds to the reading when the heart is beating, diastolic pressure is measured when the heart is at rest. The unit of measurement is millimeters of mercury.

You might then very well ask how to know what the ideal BP readings should be. Well, the levels of BP, as categorized by the American Heart Association, are shown in Table 1.

Causes
In most cases of Hypertension (Primary) in adults, the cause remains unidentifiable. In very rare situations, though, Hypertension (Secondary) might be the result of conditions such as kidney abnormalities, tumors in the adrenal gland, congenital heart defects, consumption of birth control pills and the intake of illegal drugs like cocaine, etc. Excessive intake of salt, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, drinking, smoking, family histories of Hypertension, and kidney diseases, among others, might act as critical factors in triggering the disease as well.

            Systolic                 Diastolic
Normal   < 120      &             <80
Prehyp 120–139   or          80–89
High
Stage 1 140–159  or           90–99
Stage 2 160 or >   or         100 or >

The Silent Killer
Needless to say, Hypertension is a silent killer. More often than not, it has been found that people with dangerously high BP levels hardly have complaints of uneasiness or irritations. At other instances, however, patients have been found to report nagging headaches, dizziness or nosebleeds.

Hazards
Hypertension when untreated increases the risk of suffering serious health hazards including heart attacks and strokes. It could also affect your metabolism, memory and process of understanding. Again, it could generate kidney problems, eye problems and even death. As mentioned in the World Health Organization data, cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes for deaths the world over, 80 per cent of which could be controlled through changing lifestyle patterns.

Present Scenario
According to cardiologists at the Duke University Medical Center, approximately 73 million people in the US suffer from Hypertension. Situations are graver in Asia, India being the country with the highest number of people suffering from it. A silent killer that it is, it has become the single-most crucial factor causing strokes, heart diseases, brain hemorrhages, diabetes, blindness and paralysis. Presently, 30 per cent of the country’s urban population and 10 per cent of the rural population is affected by it. As stated by Anoop Mishra of the Fortis Group of Hospitals, Hypertension accounts directly for 57 per cent of the deaths caused by strokes and 24 per cent of those caused by heart attacks in the country.

While the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration (APCSC) reports death after stroke attributable to Hypertension to be 60 per cent in Indonesia and Mongolia, corresponding figures for Malaysia, China, Philippines and Hong Kong stand at 50 per cent. Australia and New Zealand have both recorded such death to be around 30 per cent.

What the Future Holds
At this point in time, the future seems to be all the more bleak. As is derivable from the discussion above, the worst threat communities world over can have from Hypertension is in the form of heart attacks and strokes. While the present mortality rates due to heart attack and stroke are 7.6 million and 5.7 million at present, Boehringer Ingelheim has predicted that death from cardiovascular diseases would shoot up to roughly around 25 million by the year 2020.

Still alarming are the projections in a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal that 1 billion people would be suffering from high BP by the year 2027. And according to Dr. Aftab Khan of Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, India, the country would be victim to 54 per cent of the heart attacks suffered worldwide, by 2020.

Better Prevent than Cure
It is time we kill the silent killer. Conscious efforts on our part could make huge differences in stopping Hypertension from spreading its tentacles and thereby making huge differences in the figures predicted by researchers.

And as the old saying goes “Prevention is better than cure”. It is always better to check your lifestyle before it is too late.

Make regular visits to a physician to get your BP, cholesterol and heart checkups done.  Change your food habits for the better.

In the following segment, I have tried including some basic tips for people suffering from Hypertension. However, they are not harmful for others and can be followed by anyone who thinks that he is leading an irregular lifestyle.

Remedies

Garlic: A blood-thinner, garlic checks blood coagulation. It is advisable to chew a clove of garlic every morning in empty stomach.

Fenugreek: Take a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds with water twice daily (morning and evening) for 10 to 15 days.
Lemon and Honey: Have a spoon of lemon mixed with honey every morning in empty stomach.

Gooseberry and Honey: Alternatively, you can also take 1- 2 spoons of gooseberry juice along with honey in the mornings.

DASH: Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan as specified by the National Institutes of Health, USA. The health plan, named after a key study conducted by them, emphasizes the intake of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, products having low cholesterol and fat. It also stresses on the consumption of whole-grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts.

Fruits and vegetables like papaya, watermelon, apple, cucumber, grapes, bananas, oranges, guavas, tomato, carrot and spinach help controlling BP levels.

Nuts are good for Hypertension as well. At least 4 servings of nuts and sprouts a week is advisable. And do not forget to use low fat dressings (margarine) and vegetable oil for cooking.

Avoid fast foods as much as possible. They contain high percentages of fat and salt, which has detrimental effects on your BP levels. Avoid red meat. Have fish instead, which checks your BP levels and improves your good cholesterol.
Rest: Learn to do away with your stress and relax. Sleep for at least 6 hours a day.

Exercise: Hit the gym. Or do aerobic exercises, yoga etc to shed off that extra bulge.

Say no to addictions: Quit smoking, drinking and other forms of addictions.

If diagnosed of high BP, start taking prescription drugs as suggested by your physician. Get a home BP checking machine. People suffering from Hypertension are advised to check their BP at least once a month so that they can alter medication dosages accordingly. Therefore, such a monitor saves you from running to the physician every time you want your BP levels to be checked. And it saves money too! That, however, does not stop you from following these tips. They will only make you feel healthier and better.

I know the health care regimes mentioned here might seem to be a bit stringent at the outset. However, once you start following them, it becomes more of a habit and you realize it is not that difficult as it comes up to be. And it does pay off. Trust me; I have shared my own experience!