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 specific 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 accurately 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 developing myocardial infarction and stroke.
Health status
One of the reasons for the development of hypertension is the deterioration of the elasticity of arterioles - small arterial vessels that transfer blood to 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 vascular health. 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 vessels are stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system more than they dilate under the action of insulin, which leads to an increase in blood pressure.
In addition to the condition of blood vessels, the risk of hypertension is influenced by body weight. Obesity causes the body to require more blood, which increases the load on the heart and blood vessels. According to statistics, 85% of those suffering from this disease have a body mass index higher than normal. If obesity is combined with diabetes, this indicates a more complex metabolic syndrome - a metabolic pathology in which the destruction of 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 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
Poor lifestyle is a group of risk factors that are easiest to control in order to prevent the onset of disease. These include:
- unhealthy diet, leading 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 both increased sodium concentration and low potassium content. Salts affect pressure on both sides: they cause constriction of blood vessels and retain water in the body. As a result, both the volume of blood and its pressure on the walls of the arteries increases. To avoid this, you need to eat no more than 5. 8 g of salt per day.
A sedentary lifestyle not only leads to obesity. With a lack of activity, arrhythmia develops - the heart weakens, and in order to pump blood in the required quantities it has to beat more often, which increases the load on the entire cardiovascular system. During exercise, hormones are produced that strengthen the heart muscle and relax the blood vessels, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure.
Tobacco increases 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 carbon monoxide produced during the combustion of tobacco entering the blood, the blood vessels will still be healthier.
Alcohol destroys the heart muscle, which leads to increased 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 65 years of age and no more than 0. 5 liters - after 65 years of age.
Stress causes disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system and leads to a complex deterioration in the functioning of the body, including this affecting 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 especially important when diagnosing hypertension; risk factors, as a rule, are the general environment (ecological situation in the place where the family lives) and behavior (lifestyle factors are likely to be passed on from parents 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.
Hypertension is associated with heredity in 30% of cases, so it is important to monitor family history and note all diseases diagnosed in close relatives (parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents) - this will help assess the risk of developing pathology and prevent it. 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 borderline between normal and dangerous.
| State | 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 status 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 in the condition of the body and in particular the circulatory system, then risk factors for the development of secondary type hypertension are specific diseases of the kidneys, endocrine glands and cardiovascular system.
Kidney diseases
The main renal pathology leading to increased blood pressure is a decrease in the lumen of the renal artery. It can be congenital or develop at an older age. The main reasons for the intravital development of pathology:
- thickening of the smooth muscles of the artery - occurs in young women;
- atherosclerosis - in old age.
Because of this disease, blood flow in the kidney worsens, resulting in increased secretion of renin and angiotensin. Together with the adrenal 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 strengthened with a frame.
In addition, changes in hormonal levels can be influenced by chronic pathological processes in the kidneys - pyelonephritis, the 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 the production of hormones:
- Aldosterome - produces aldosterone. In addition to hypertension, this also leads to increased excretion of potassium from the body.
- Pheochromocytoma—produces adrenaline, which speeds up the heartbeat, leading to increased blood pressure. Additional symptoms are hot flashes, skin flushing, and increased sweating.
In both cases, treatment consists of removing the adrenal glands.
Thyroid dysfunction
In case of secondary hypertension, 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 heartbeat increases, which leads to an increase in blood pressure.
Taking medications
In addition to diseases, secondary hypertension can be caused by taking various medications and other substances. These include:
- antidepressants;
- drops and sprays for rhinitis;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- oral contraceptives;
- corticosteroids;
- narcotic substances - cocaine, amphetamines;
- hematopoietic stimulant;
- asthma medications;
- Anti-hypertension medications - when discontinued, can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure.
If hypertension is caused by medications, you should consult a doctor and replace the medications you are taking with analogues with fewer side effects.
Other risks of developing the disease
There are othersrisk factors for hypertension. Unlike diseases and lifestyle choices, 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.
The gender of the person also influences - men have a higher risk of hypertension, especially in adulthood and older age. Women are at risk during menopause and during pregnancy. The risk increases with age in both sexes. If up to 29 years of age the probability of developing the disease does not exceed 10%, then at 60–69 years of age it reaches 50%.
Most of the world's population is exposed to risk factors for hypertension at one time 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 this is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. Breaking bad habits, getting regular checkups with your doctor, and monitoring your blood pressure are the best ways to stay safe.