If the blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, a person can be called suffering from pre-hypertension.
This condition is very harmful to the body because it will cause the heart to work harder.
Not only that, hypertension can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and increase the likelihood of coronary heart disease and stroke.
Hypertension affects many people. About 2 out of 3 people over age 65, suffer from this disease.
Risk factors for hypertension
Here are a risk factor (cause) hypertension:
Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol)
smoke
diabetes mellitus
obesity
lack of exercise
Seniors (55 years for men and 65 for women)
Have a family history of coronary disease in women under the age of 65 and under the age of 55 years for men.
Effect of hypertension on the body
Hypertension can adversely affect many organs of the body. Here are the organs that are affected by hypertension:
1. brain
High blood pressure is a major cause of stroke. This can lead to rupture of blood vessels in the brain and cause internal bleeding brain.
2. heart
Arteries carry blood and oxygen to the heart. If the heart is not enough oxygen, it can cause heart failure.
3. kidney
The kidneys are the body's filter that cleans the blood of useless materials. Hypertension can damage the kidney tissue. This will cause waste products to accumulate in the body.
4. eye
Hypertension can affect the eye vessels. Visibility can be reduced in stages that can lead to blindness.
How to prevent hypertension
1. Quitting smoking
Smoking is one of the most common causes of hypertension.
One cigarette is enough to cause a temporary increase in blood pressure. Blood pressure can return to normal after 30-60 minutes.
When the researchers measured the blood pressure of smokers, they found that within five minutes after smoking, systolic pressure increased dramatically (more than 20 mmHg).
2. Reduce weight
Hypertensive patients who have a body weight 10% above ideal body weight can reduce their blood pressure simply by losing weight. The weight loss will facilitate the smooth functioning of the heart.
