{"id":13220,"date":"2021-06-07T16:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T21:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=13220"},"modified":"2022-06-01T10:13:38","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T15:13:38","slug":"hypertension-and-heart-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/hypertension-and-heart-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypertension and heart disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hypertension is perhaps better known as high blood pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is blood pressure? Your blood pressure is a measure of how much the blood moving through your arteries pushes against the vessel walls.<\/p>\n

\n

Are you at risk?<\/p>\n

Take our online assessment <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

High blood pressure can have one or more of several possible causes \u2013 genetics, obesity, too much salt in your diet, arterial stenosis<\/a> and even the stiffening of your arteries as you age. Sleep apnea can contribute to high blood pressure, as can hyperthyroidism<\/a> and other endocrine abnormalities.<\/p>\n

Is hypertension heart disease?<\/h2>\n

Hypertension is not heart disease. However, hypertension can be a major contributing factor for heart disease, which is why hypertension is not something you want to ignore.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of your heart, there is a strong link between hypertension and coronary artery disease<\/a>,\u201d said Kavitha Kalvakuri, MD, a cardiologist at OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute. \u201cBlockages and coronary artery disease development can be accelerated by hypertension. A weak heart muscle is another consequence of uncontrolled hypertension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of blood pressure as the mountain and the heart as the horse. The higher one is, the harder the other has to work,\u201d<\/p>\n

Higher pressure on the vessel walls can damage them, making it easier for plaque to build up, creating a dangerous blockage. It also forces your heart to pump harder to circulate your blood properly. This overwork can lead to a weakened heart down the road.<\/p>\n

If allowed to run unchecked, hypertension can damage not only the heart, but also the brain, eyes and kidneys.<\/p>\n

How do I know if I have hypertension?<\/h2>\n

Hypertension has earned the harsh nickname \u201cthe silent killer\u201d because a lot of people show no signs that something might be wrong until they suffer a problem caused by the hypertension, which can be as severe as a heart attack.<\/p>\n

\"Blood<\/p>\n

If you experience any symptoms related to blood pressure, it means your hypertension has already progressed beyond stage one to stage two, where your risk for stroke and heart attack is increased. With stage two hypertension, headaches are common, fatigue, chest pains and even episodes of dizziness or losing consciousness.<\/p>\n

Hypertension can also lead to vision problems, kidney issues and blockages in your small blood vessels and extremities.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing any of these symptoms, it could mean your uncontrolled hypertension has progressed dangerously. You need to see your primary care physician right away.<\/p>\n

Once a person\u2019s hypertension reaches stage two, that person usually needs to be on two or three daily medications for the rest of their life, Dr. Kalvakuri said. The best way to deal with hypertension is to get screened every year by your physician to catch any possible hypertension issue early.<\/p>\n

Eating healthy, avoiding too much sodium and being physically active are simple things you can do yourself to help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.<\/p>\n

Find more detail here<\/a> on how blood pressure is measured and the stages of hypertension. You can also find out about your risk factors for high blood pressure here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hypertension is known better as high blood pressure and isn’t something you should ignore. Diet, exercise and medication are just a few ways you can manage your blood pressure and reduce your risk for heart disease. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":13248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,105,735],"tags":[47,106],"coauthors":[692],"class_list":["post-13220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-exercise","category-cardiovascular","category-preventive-health","tag-healthy-eating","tag-heart-disease"],"yoast_head":"\nHypertension and heart disease<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hypertension is not heart disease, but it can be a contributing factor. 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