New Delhi: Uncontrolled high blood pressure can silently damage your heart and lead to serious complications. Hence, understanding the link and taking simple steps can protect your heart for years to come. Read on to know more about this and bring your numbers down to save your heart. Remember, regular blood pressure checks, medication, and lifestyle modifications are key. Dr Swarup Swaraj Pal, Sr. Consultant Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgeon, Gleneagles Hospitals Parel, spoke about the effects of hypertension on the heart.
What is hypertension?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide. Uncontrolled hypertension is dangerous as it goes unnoticed and slowly damages various organs, like the heart. A large number of people with unmanaged hypertension tend to suffer from heart problems. Did you know? When the blood pressure remains high over time, it puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels, eventually leading to fatal conditions such as heart attacks and heart failure. Hypertension can take a toll on your heart and give you a tough time. Hence, it is necessary to manage blood pressure and keep heart problems at bay.
How does high blood pressure affect heart health?
When blood pressure is consistently high, your heart has to work harder to pump blood. Over time, this makes the heart muscles thicker and less efficient, especially the left side, which can raise the chances of heart failure. High blood pressure leads to wear and tear on the inner lining of the arteries. This damage makes it easier for plaque to build up, leading to atherosclerosis, which is a condition that narrows and hardens the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart. Your arteries can become blocked and narrowed due to unmanaged hypertension, and you can suffer a heart attack. That extra pressure on the heart can also impact its rhythm, leading to arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, which further invite a stroke.
How to protect heart health?
Vital measures to protect your heart from high blood pressure: Ensure to monitor your blood pressure as recommended by your doctor. Take medication regularly, and avoid salty, processed foods. It is a proven fact that reduced sodium intake will help to lower blood pressure and even reduce the strain on the heart. Don’t forget physical activity. Make sure to exercise for at least 45 minutes per day, and you will surely be able to manage blood pressure and prevent heart problems. De-stress by doing yoga and meditation, as these relaxation techniques can help you to calm down and keep your blood pressure under control. Quit smoking and alcohol, as these vices can damage blood vessels and raise blood pressure by impacting the heart.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide. Uncontrolled hypertension is dangerous as it goes unnoticed and slowly damages various organs, like the heart. Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
