BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure is one of the most prevalent health conditions in the world, affecting 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women on a worldwide scale according to the World Health Organization. Nearly 1.13 billion people in the world are suffering from the condition, and less than half have the condition under control, which is very alarming given that high blood pressure is known to contribute to heart attacks and heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. In India only 12% of hypertensives are controlled and so complications of high blood pressure are very common. 234 million Indians suffer from high blood pressure, 11.3% of them between the age of 13 and 49! Needless to say, the scale of this global problem makes it the subject of continuous research, and every year, scientists learn more about the causes and ways to treat and prevent hypertension.

Unfortunately many of these people have no idea they have the disease or knowingly neglect their condition, exposing themselves to the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other no less serious complications. In part, this is because many of us are misled to believe that high blood pressure is not a serious issue, or that only older people suffer from it. None of that is true. There are quite a lot of dangerous myths surrounding high blood pressure, myths that end up causing a great deal of harm to hypertension sufferers all across the globe.

 

1. Hypertension isn’t a serious condition:

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic irreversible health conditions in the world and India is no exception. Nearly half of the overall adult population suffers from hypertension but a vast majority are not even aware of it. The severity and potential dangers of this health condition are too grossly underestimated, and many consider high blood pressure to be no big deal. This is just not true, and in reality, high blood pressure can lead to many serious complications and even sudden death.

Over time, hypertension makes larger blood vessels less elastic, which impairs the oxygen supply to various organs, and can even make small blood vessels in the brain burst and become blocked. Thus, high blood pressure can lead to the following health issues:

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat (or arrhythmia - this can lead to sudden death)
• Chest pain, also known as angina
• Stroke
• Kidney damage.
• Vision loss
• Sexual dysfunction,
• Peripheral artery disease.

So, hypertension is a very serious condition that requires treatment and lifestyle adjustments. 

 

2. I don’t use salt in my food, so I’m managing my sodium levels

Managing your sodium intake is crucial when you have high blood pressure. Many people confuse sodium intake with the amount of salt they add to their foods, but in reality, reducing or eliminating the use of table salt in your diet or replacing it with LONA (low  sodium salt) is just part of the solution. As a matter of fact, processed foods account for at least 40% of our daily sodium intake. Thus, Pizza, Sandwiches, Bread, Eggs and omelets, Sandwich meat, Canned soup, Chips, pretzels, crackers, and other savory snacks like daalmot, chaat, chanachoor, jhalmuri all have salt and add to our sodium load. Even sweet ultra-processed foods, such as chocolate, candy, breakfast cereals, and soft drinks are extremely high in salt. Therefore, looking at labels is key - search for the keywords “sodium”, “Na”, and “soda” on the ingredient label. Also understand that consuming added sea salt or kosher salt or sendha namak is the same as regular table salt, as all three of these have the same sodium content. The WHO recommends cutting down your daily sodium intake to 5 grams a day, a small sacrifice to pay for your cardiovascular health. Doing so, according to the WHO feels, would prevent 2.5 million deaths every year.

 

3. Hypertension is inevitable

Another common misconception is the idea that high blood pressure cannot be prevented, especially in older age, and everyone is bound to get it. Although hypertension is more prevalent in older adults, it’s by no means a normal part of aging. Not all seniors and not only older people suffer from this condition: the condition affects 63.1% of people 60+ years old, 33.2% in the 40-59 age range, and 7.5% in the age range of 18-39. In addition, many people also believe that they will surely have hypertension if the condition runs in the family. While it is certainly true that hypertension has a genetic component, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet can cancel out the genetic predisposition to high blood pressure to quite an extent. A 2018 study looking at 277,005 patients concluded that adherence to a healthy lifestyle - healthy diet, limited alcohol consumption, low urinary sodium excretion, low body mass index [BMI], and increased physical activity, is associated with lower blood pressure regardless of the underlying blood pressure genetic risk. Therefore, though hypertension isn’t curable, it’s very much so preventable, no matter what your genetic risk or age is.

 

4. Only men suffer from high blood pressure

A poor diet, low activity levels, and being overweight can increase one’s risk of high blood pressure for both men and women. In fact, in the age range of 45–64 years, men and women have a nearly identical risk of hypertension. What’s more, after 64 years old, women have a higher risk of hypertension than men. The only age range in which men are more likely to develop hypertension is 45 years old and younger.

 

5. You’re fine if only one of the measurements is high

Blood pressure (bp) readings consist of two measurements - the top (systolic) blood pressure and the second (diastolic) blood pressure. Systolic measurements show the pressure with which blood runs through the veins during a heartbeat, whereas the diastolic measurement reflects the blood pressure while your heart is resting. Systolic blood pressure of 130 and above is considered high, as is diastolic pressure of 80 and greater. Oftentimes, people pay more attention to the top number, as higher systolic pressure is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attack in older adults. However, higher diastolic measurements are just as important as systolic ones, and you must seek treatment if you get any consistently high readings to prevent your organs from damage.

 

6. Low blood pressure isn’t an issue

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is definitely less talked about than hypertension, but that doesn't mean that hypotension is benign. While many people have a naturally lower blood pressure than others, drops in blood pressure can be a concern, as it can cause dizziness, or make you faint or go into shock. The first two are a concern, especially for the elderly, as they often lead to a serious fall. Shock, on the other hand, is even more dangerous, as it can cause sudden death if not treated immediately.

 

7. Everyone should be controlled at 120/80

This is simply not true for people above the age of 45. We can add 10 mm to the systolic blood pressure after 45 and 130 mm is good enough. According to the most recent American guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology in 2017, any blood pressure with a systolic (higher) reading past 130 is considered hypertension. In Europe this critical reading however is 140. In fact studies have shown that in patients above 80 years of age blood pressure values below 140/90 didn’t decrease risk of mortality, but increased it by 26%. Unfortunately, it remains unclear what role a relatively high blood pressure may play in assisting older adults and what should be considered as “normal blood pressure” for this age group. It is clear, however, that a blanket approach to mass lowering of blood pressure may not be the correct treatment strategy either.

8. Surely, I would notice the symptoms if I had hypertension

Nothing can be farther from truth. There's a reason why doctors call hypertension "the silent killer". Unfortunately, most people don't know that they have the condition until they start measuring their blood pressure regularly. In fact, many in India are diagnosed once they have complications of hypertension. It can take years of having the condition for common symptoms like feeling tired, dizzy, lightheaded, or confused to appear. Therefore, it's safest to measure your blood pressure regularly, especially if you're older or have a genetic predisposition to hypertension.

 

9. Once my blood pressure normalizes, I can stop taking my medicines

If you were diagnosed with hypertension, you'll likely be suffering from the condition for life, at least until doctors find a cure for it. Medication may bring your blood pressure back to normal, but that doesn't mean that you have to stop taking it, even if you also adjust your lifestyle and diet. Never discontinue a blood pressure medication prescription without your doctor’s knowledge and approval. Expect to treat high blood pressure for life. Your physician will sometimes reduce your drug dosages or even change it after achieving normal blood pressure and maintaining it for a year or more, although it is rare for the treatment to be stopped entirely.

 

10. Doctors ask for too many investigations even when I am OK

This is called target organ survey; your eyes, brain, heart and kidneys are the target organs which hypertension is likely to involve. These organs need periodic monitoring to ensure that they are in perfect shape. Don’t feel cheated if all your investigations come out to be normal. That is in fact good news!

 

 

High blood pressure doesn’t have any symptoms and many who suffer from it don’t get to know till it is very late. It remains the most common cause of premature death and so instead of getting entangled in the web of myths surrounding hypertension we must understand its seriousness and make necessary life style modifications and take our anti-hypertensive drugs regularly.