HYPERTENSION DUBAI

(HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)

Hypertension Dubai or a high blood pressure is a very common condition that is easily diagnosed. The old maxim of “100 plus your age” is not a safe way to measure what your blood pressure should be. Hypertension exists when the blood

High blood pressure, or hypertension, rarely has noticeable symptoms. But if untreated, it increases your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes. The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have your blood pressure checked.

Blood pressure is recorded with 2 numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body.

The diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels.

They’re both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).

As a general guide:

  • High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher (or 150/90mmHg or higher if you’re over the age of 80)
  • Ideal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg

Blood pressure readings between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you do not take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.

Everyone’s blood pressure will be slightly different. What’s considered low or high for you may be normal for someone else.

RISKS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.

Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:

  • Heart disease.
  • Heart attacks.
  • Strokes.
  • Heart failure.
  • Peripheral arterial disease.
  • Aortic aneurysms.
  • Kidney disease.
  • Vascular dementia.

If you have high blood pressure, reducing it even a small amount can help lower your risk of these health conditions.

THINGS THAT CAN INCREASE YOUR RISK

It’s not always clear what causes high blood pressure, but there are things that can increase your risk.

You might be more at risk if you:

  • Are overweight.
  • Eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.
  • Do not do enough exercise.
  • Drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks).
  • Smoke.
  • Do not get much sleep or have disturbed sleep.
  • Are over 65.
  • Have a relative with high blood pressure.
  • Are of black African or black Caribbean descent.

Making healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and help lower your blood pressure if it’s already high.

TREATMENT

Dr Barbara Karin Vela can help you keep your blood pressure to a safe level using:

  • Lifestyle changes.
  • Medicines.

What works best is different for each person. Talk to her to help you decide about treatment.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE

These lifestyle changes can help prevent and lower high blood pressure:

  • Reduce the amount of salt you eat and have a generally healthy diet.
  • Cut back on alcohol.
  • Lose weight if you’re overweight.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Cut down on caffeine.
  • Stop smoking.

Some people with high blood pressure may also need to take 1 or more medicines to stop their blood pressure getting too high.

MEDICINES FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

If you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, Dr Barbara Karin Vela may recommend taking 1 or more medicines to keep it under control.

These come as tablets and usually need to be taken once a day.

Common blood pressure medicines include:

  • ACE inhibitors – such as enalapril, lisinopril, perindopril and ramipril.
  • Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs) – such as candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, valsartan and olmesartan.
  • Calcium channel blockers – such as amlodipine, felodipine and nifedipine or diltiazem and verapamil.
  • Diuretics – such as indapamide and bendroflumethiazide.
  • Beta blockers – such as atenolol and bisoprolol.
  • Alpha blockers – such as doxazosin.
  • Other diuretics – such as amiloride and spironolactone.

The medicine recommended for you will depend on things like how high your blood pressure is, your age and your ethnicity.

KNOWN CAUSES

In about 1 in 20 cases, high blood pressure happens as the result of an underlying health condition or taking a certain medicine.

Health conditions that can cause high blood pressure include:

  • Kidney disease
  • Diabetes
  • Long-term kidney infections
  • Obstructive sleep apnoea – where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing.
  • Glomerulonephritis – damage to the tiny filters inside the kidneysNarrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys.
  • Hormone problems – such as an underactive thyroid, an overactive thyroid, – Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, increased levels of the hormone aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism), and phaeochromocytoma.
  • Lupus – a condition in which the immune system attacks parts of the body, such as the skin, joints and organs.
  • Scleroderma – a condition that causes thickened skin, and sometimes problems with organs and blood vessels.

FINAL NOTE

Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.

Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.

Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.