Risk factors for hypertension may vary depending on the type of disease. There are two types: primary, or essential, and secondary hypertension. The first type occurs many times more often 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 individual 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 precisely determine the cause of the increase in pressure. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that its symptoms do not appear immediately - the causes can undermine health gradually, imperceptibly. Moreover, even in a latent state, hypertension increases the risk of 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 condition of the vascular walls is influenced by several factors:
- aging of the body;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- heredity;
- inflammatory processes in tissues.
The composition of the blood is also important for the health of blood vessels. Weakening of the circulatory system is primarily associated with diabetes mellitus. Blood glucose levels are regulated by insulin, a pancreatic hormone. If its secretion is reduced or it cannot perform its functions normally, the sympathetic nervous system stimulates the vessels 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, the risk of hypertension is also influenced by body weight. Obesity causes the body to demand more blood, which increases the burden on the heart and blood vessels. According to statistics, 85% of patients with this disease have a body mass index higher than normal. If obesity is combined with diabetes, it indicates a more complex metabolic syndrome - a metabolic pathology in which the destruction of blood 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 severe snoring, when the airways are completely blocked due to the pathology of their structure or other reasons. Each cessation of breathing is a strong stress for the body, and the pressure rises to 200-250 mmHg. Art. Regular attacks lead to chronic arterial hypertension.
Lifestyle
A bad lifestyle is the group of risk factors that are easiest to control in order to prevent the onset of disease. This includes:
- unhealthy diet, which leads to an imbalance in the salt balance in the body;
- lack of physical activity;
- smoking;
- alcohol abuse;
- chronic stress.
Excessive consumption of table salt is a symptom that unites most people suffering from arterial hypertension; Risk factors for this include increased sodium concentration and low potassium. Salts affect pressure on both sides: they cause narrowing of blood vessels and retain water in the body. As a result, the volume of blood and its pressure on the walls of the arteries increases. To avoid this, you should not eat more than 5. 8 g of salt per day.
A sedentary lifestyle does not only lead 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 often, which increases the load on the entire cardiovascular system. During exercise, hormones are created that strengthen the heart muscle and relax blood vessels, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure.
Tobacco raises blood pressure regardless of whether it is smoked, chewed or snorted. 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 entering the blood of carbon monoxide, which is created during the burning of tobacco, the blood vessels will still be healthier.
Alcohol destroys the heart muscle, which leads to 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 the age of 65.
Stress causes disorders in the functioning of the nervous system and leads to a complex deterioration in the functioning of the body, including blood pressure. In addition, it is the background for the emergence of bad habits - overeating, smoking and alcoholism, which directly increase the risk of developing arterial hypertension.
Heredity
Family history is particularly important when diagnosing hypertension; risk factors are, as a rule, the general environment (environmental situation in the place where the family lives) and behavior (lifestyle factors are probably transmitted from parent to child), but primarily genes. Heredity is considered the main factor in the development of arterial hypertension: there are genes that cause an increase in the synthesis of renin, a kidney hormone that increases blood pressure.
In 30% of cases, hypertension is related to heredity, so it is important to follow the family history and record all diseases diagnosed in close relatives (parents, siblings, grandparents) - this will help in assessing the risk of developing pathology and prevention. If there is a risk, you need to control your lifestyle even more carefully.
Knowing all these factors, hypertension can be prevented by monitoring the development of prehypertension, a condition in which blood pressure is on the borderline between normal and dangerous.
| Country | Pressure values (mmHg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Systolic | diastolic | |
| Norm | 120 | 80 |
| Prehypertension | 120–139 | 80–89 |
| Hypertension | >140 | >90 |
In order to detect the disease in time if you are at risk, or to monitor your health condition 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 feel unwell.
Risk factors for secondary hypertension
If primary hypertension develops against the background of a general deterioration of the state of the organism, and especially of the circulatory system, then the risk factors for the development of secondary hypertension are specific diseases of the kidneys, endocrine glands, and the cardiovascular system.
Kidney diseases
The main renal pathology that leads to an increase in blood pressure is the reduction of the lumen of the renal artery. It can be congenital or develop in old age. The main reasons for intravital pathology development:
- thickening of the smooth muscles of the artery - occurs in young women;
- atherosclerosis - in old age.
Due to this disease, blood flow in the kidneys deteriorates, resulting in increased secretion of renin and angiotensin. Together with the adrenal gland hormone aldosterone, they lead to an increase in vascular tone and an increase in blood pressure. To treat pathology, the vessel is mechanically expanded and reinforced with a frame.
In addition, changes in hormone levels can also be affected by chronic pathological processes in the kidneys - pyelonephritis, formation of stones in the bladder, etc. The opposite reaction can also occur - hypertension leads to diseases of the urinary system.
Adrenal tumors
Occasionally, diseases of the adrenal glands lead to an increase in arterial tone. These include the development of tumors that increase hormone production:
- Aldosterome - produces aldosterone. In addition to hypertension, it also leads to increased excretion of potassium from the body.
- Pheochromocytoma – produces adrenaline, which speeds up the heartbeat, which leads to an increase in blood pressure. Additional symptoms are hot flashes, skin redness and increased sweating.
In both cases, the treatment consists of removing the adrenal glands.
Dysfunction of the thyroid gland
In the case of secondary hypertension, the risk factors may be some diseases of the thyroid gland: diffuse goiter, nodular goiter. They lead to thyrotoxicosis - an increase in the production of thyroid hormones. These biologically active substances regulate metabolism in the body; when they are in excess, the heart rate increases, which leads to an increase in blood pressure.
Taking medication
In addition to the disease, secondary hypertension can also be caused by taking various drugs and other substances. This includes:
- antidepressants;
- Drops and sprays for rhinitis;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- oral contraceptives;
- corticosteroids;
- narcotic substances - cocaine, amphetamines;
- hematopoietic stimulant;
- medicines for asthma;
- Antihypertensive drugs – when stopped, can cause a sudden rise in blood pressure.
If hypertension is caused by drugs, you should consult a doctor and replace the drugs you are taking with analogues with fewer side effects.
Other risks of disease development
There are othersrisk factors for hypertension. Unlike diseases and lifestyles, they cannot be eliminated or controlled.
One such factor is race. Research shows that arterial hypertension is more common and develops earlier in blacks than in whites, Hispanics, Asians and others.
A person's gender also affects - 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 by the age of 29 the probability of developing the disease does not exceed 10%, then at the age of 60-69 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 get it sooner or later, and in most cases it is related to an unhealthy lifestyle. Getting rid of bad habits, regular checkups with your doctor, and monitoring your blood pressure are the best ways to stay safe.