The causes are family history, followed by obesity and stress in order.
Daily self-diagnosis and low-sodium eating habits are necessary.
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Hypertension is a national disease affecting 1 in 3 adults in Korea. Since it usually appears in the middle-aged, people in their 20s and 30s are relatively less interested. However, according to a recent study, 1 out of 10 adults in their 20s and 30s in Korea has high blood pressure, so this is no longer just a story for the middle-aged.
It is important for hypertensive patients to recognize that they are hypertensive patients and to continuously check their blood pressure status. Not doing so can greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease or stroke. We met Choi Jae-hoon, director of the Cardiovascular Center at Busan Bumin Hospital, to hear how to prevent and manage high blood pressure in advance.
The following is a Q&A with Director Choi.
– What is the criteria for high blood pressure?
“Hypertension is a condition in which arterial blood pressure is higher than normal, and refers to cases in which systolic blood pressure is 140 mmHg or more or diastolic blood pressure is 90 mmHg or more in adults aged 18 years or older. When it occurs, there are secondary hypertension and essential (primary), which is caused by various complex factors such as age or weight without a specific cause. 90% of all hypertension patients have essential hypertension.”
– Why is early detection of hypertension important?
“Early detection and management of hypertension can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. If hypertension is left untreated, the mortality rate due to various complications such as stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris is high. It is important to measure blood pressure and detect it early.”
– Why is it important to be aware of hypertension in all age groups?
“Speaking of high blood pressure, it is thought that it usually appears from the middle-aged or older, so the awareness rate of high blood pressure among the younger generations is remarkably low. The main causes of the increase in young people with high blood pressure are obesity and stress. Eating out and eating out stimulating foods have increased, but physical activity has increased. Blood pressure is rising because it has decreased. However, as high blood pressure is a national disease that affects 1 out of 3 adults in Korea, it is necessary to be aware of high blood pressure from a young age.”
– Why is high blood pressure considered one of the three major risk factors for atherosclerosis along with smoking and hyperlipidemia?
“The reason why high blood pressure is dangerous is because of complications such as coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, heart failure is a representative complication, and if high blood pressure persists, the heart muscle enlarges and its function decreases, making it difficult to breathe during exercise and difficult to breathe even at rest, resulting in arrhythmia. Because this is high, you should be alert to high blood pressure.”
– What causes high blood pressure?
“More than 90% of hypertension is essential and the cause is unknown in most cases. Usually, genetic factors (family history) are the most common. Other factors include aging, obesity, salty eating habits, lack of exercise, and stress.”
– What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
“Occasionally, symptoms such as heavy head, shortness of breath, headache, ringing in the ears, and dizziness appear, but hypertension has no clear symptoms enough to be called the ‘silent killer.’ It is discovered by chance during a health checkup. Therefore, in Korea, regular checkups every two years are strongly recommended for adults aged 20 through the national health checkup project.”
– How to measure blood pressure correctly at home?
“At home, it is recommended to measure twice a day, morning and evening. Sit in a chair with a backrest in an upright position, relax, bend your arm appropriately, and measure your blood pressure at least twice with a blood pressure monitor. In this way, you should measure your blood pressure If you know exactly how much this is, you can pay more attention to your blood pressure and follow the rules of life, which will help prevent high blood pressure in advance. Measure blood pressure, but it is good to refrain from smoking or coffee before measurement.”
– What kind of treatment do hypertensive patients receive after diagnosis?
“To treat high blood pressure, both non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies are applied. In the pre-hypertensive stage, non-pharmacological therapies such as weight control and regular exercise are performed first. It is necessary to control blood pressure to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and reduce mortality.”
– Do I have to take high blood pressure medicine for the rest of my life?
“About 70% of patients who stopped taking medications had high blood pressure again, so in principle, you have to take antihypertensive medications for the rest of your life once you start taking them. It is possible to reduce the dose of the drug. It is a drug that is difficult to stop, so it is important to diagnose high blood pressure in an accurate way when diagnosing it for the first time, and it is also necessary to take care to take medicine unconditionally for high blood pressure once or twice.”
– How can you prevent high blood pressure in advance?
“In order to maintain and manage blood pressure at an appropriate level, it is most important to practice a healthy lifestyle. If you follow healthy lifestyle rules such as eating a low-salt diet, controlling your weight through regular exercise, smoking cessation, and limiting alcohol consumption, you can manage high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. It helps prevent the risk of developing a disease.”
