Our body's plumbing system

Hypertension, which if you think about it, is really a silent killer. Why? Because patients with hypertension are often asymptomatic or present with non- specific symptoms like headache, lethargy/ dizziness. So, it’s important to get your blood pressure checked. On the other end of the spectrum, a patient may present with life threatening complications such as heart attack or stroke. Based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 3 in 10 or 6.4 million people in Malaysia have hypertension. This is worrying because hypertension is a major risk factor for heart/ cardiovascular diseases, which is the top cause of morbidity and mortality for the last few decades and is projected to do so for years to come.

Optimal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg. The value above is the pressure exerted on the vessel walls when the heart contracts, and value below is when the heart relaxes. Blood transverses the body through pipes in our circulatory system.

Image taken from: YouTube. (2015, July 23). How blood pressure works - Wilfred Manzano. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab9OZsDECZw

In any plumbing system, several things can increase the force in the wall of the pipes such as the property of the fluid or narrower pipes. Salt is a big culprit associated with hypertension. Salt promotes water retention and the extra fluid increases the blood volume and blood pressure. Another factor is stress. Stress releases hormones that constrict blood vessels, increasing the resistance and raising pressure. Usually, our blood vessels can handle this but when your blood pressure is constantly high above 140/90 (what we call hypertension), it can cause extra strain and small tears in the walls of our vessels. Fat and cholesterol build up in the tears, creating a plague that hardens the lining of arteries. This condition is called atherosclerosis and it can cause dangerous consequences like heart attack and stroke.

Hypertension is predominantly a lifestyle disease. Therefore, making these changes can reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease:-

• Eat a well- balanced diet that is low in salt

• Limit alcohol and quit smoking

• Enjoy regular physical activity. Guidelines suggest at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise

• Manage stress

• Maintain a healthy weight

What I have told you so far might sound all too familiar but how many of us pay attention to these aspects of life? The key is to BEGIN.

References:

1. Institute for Public Health 2020. National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019: Non-communicable diseases, healthcare demand, and health literacy—Key Findings

2. YouTube. (2015, July 23). How blood pressure works - Wilfred Manzano. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab9OZsDECZw

3. Changes you can make to manage high blood pressure. www.heart.org. (2023, June 1). https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure