Hypertension is the leading cause of death, according to an article in the American College of Cardiology.
Otherwise known as high blood pressure, this condition can be brought on by continuous unhealthy habits or simply be part of one’s genetic makeup.
Advisable blood pressure is one with numbers between 90/60 and 120/80, according to Angela Hudson, a licensed nurse practitioner in Leflore County. The top number represents the pressure in the heart’s arteries when it’s pumping, and the bottom number represents the pressure in the arteries when it rests.
Numbers that are too high indicate a heart that is working overtime. As with any other muscle, this makes the heart grow larger, which puts a person at higher risk for heart issues.
“If someone has high blood pressure, they’re at high risk of strokes and heart attack,” Hudson said. “The heart muscle should always be the size of a fist, so anytime it pumps and pumps and pumps, it gets enlarged. Eventually, if your blood pressure is consistently high and your heart gets enlarged, it leads to a weak heart.”
To receive a diagnosis of hypertension, patients sit through several electrocardiograms (EKG or ECG). Small plastic patches called electrodes are stuck to different points on the chest, arms and legs. The electrodes record natural electrical impulses within the body that are coordinating contractions of the different parts of the heart to keep blood flowing properly. These impulses show how fast the heart is beating, the rhythm of the heart beats — steady or irregular — and the strength and timing of the electrical impulses as they move through different parts of the heart.
Sitting through several helps doctors to determine exactly what an issue might be, Hudson said.
“If someone comes in with borderline high blood pressure, it depends on how many readings we have to diagnose them properly,” she said. “Each patient is different.”
Smoking, drinking, poor diet or an inactive lifestyle can contribute to hypertension.
Some lifestyle changes Hudson recommended include limiting consumption of red meat and sodium and increasing consumption of fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables and baked or broiled white meats.
“Try to eat more fish,” she said.
Other items, such as Blue Bell ice cream, can be had in moderation, “but don’t love it,” she said. She also said to limit consumption of canned goods.
Preexisting medical conditions also contribute to a person’s risk for hypertension. For example, Hudson said, someone with diabetes is certain to have high blood pressure, though someone with high blood pressure isn’t guaranteed to have diabetes. Diabetics and those with chronic kidney disease are the people she sees the most often with hypertension.
Her hypertensive patients aren’t limited to a certain age, race or gender, either, though the majority of those with hypertension tend to be older patients. Their conditions come from the weakening of the heart and old age, Hudson said.
“In young people, it’s kind of unusual unless they’re living a sedentary lifestyle,” she said.
She said she once treated hypertension in an 18-year-old patient who was severely overweight, but that isn’t the norm.
For people who suffer from hypertension as a result of genetics, the only advice Hudson has is to keep up with medication. “You can’t fix it by changing your lifestyle if it’s in your genes,” she said.
High blood pressure is common in the Delta, said Dr. Abhash Thakur, a cardiologist at Greenwood Leflore Hospital.
“Poor access to health care prevents people from seeking help,” he said. “In many cases, they cannot afford treatments.”
Because hypertension can result in heart attack or stroke, aggressive treatment is necessary. This can include lifestyle changes but also requires people to take medicine. If they cannot afford medicine, they are unable to treat the problem fully. “It becomes a cycle,” Thakur said.
One condition that can lead to hypertension is sleep apnea. “This occurs when a person stops breathing hundreds of times during the night,” said Thakur.
Smoking also can raise the risk of high blood pressure.
“If people will gradually try and stop smoking, it will help,” said Thakur. “Most people cannot quit altogether at once. But if they will cut nine cigarettes a day down to eight, then to seven, and so on, they will start to feel better. They will have greater incentive to stop.”
Headache, fatigue, or feelings of a “heavy head” are some common early warning symptoms.
Thakur recommended exercise and healthier eating habits to prevent hypertension.
“Eat more fruits and vegetables, and fewer greasy, fried and salty foods,” he said. “Try getting in at least some exercise every day. A little is better than none.”
