NIKOLAOS KOUREMENOS MD, PHD, FESH
Dir. of the Cardiology Dpt., Head of Mediterraneo First Care Hypertension Clinic
ΕAR
LY DIAGNOSIS IS THE KEY TO TREATING HYPERTENSION
Arterial blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the arterial walls. According to the guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH), the ideal blood pressure is lower than
120mmHg for the systolic blood pressure and lower than 80mmHg for the diastolic blood pressure. When a person’s arterial blood pressure exceeds 140 mmHg for the systolic blood pressure and 90 mmHg for the diastolic blood pressure, then that person suffers from arterial hypertension.
Arterial hypertension affects a quarter of the general population, presenting increased frequency at older ages. Apart from age, other risk factors include a family history of hypertension, obesity, smoking, high salt and alcohol consumption, stress, lack of exercise, chronic disease such as diabetes and kidney disease, as well as sleep apnea.
Displaying no symptoms whatsoever, hypertension is a silent and sneaky enemy. Thus, the patient could have had high blood pressure for a long time before developing symptoms.
Unregulated blood pressure can lead to complications such as a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias, kidney failure, vision disorders, even blindness.
For the effective management of hypertension, the timely diagnosis as well as the successful treatment is of the essence. Despite the plethora of drugs available in our treatment quiver, three out of four people with hypertension are aware of their condition, half of them take medication, but at best only one in three manage to successfully regulate blood pressure to the desired levels -targets. Sadly, approximately 800 million hypertensives worldwide remain unregulated.
One of the causes of undiagnosed hypertension seems to be the belittling by doctors and patients alike of the role of accurate and reliable arterial blood pressure taking, following the right procedure, and choosing the right certified blood pressure monitor.
Every hypertensive needs to actively participate in the process of managing hypertension, because half of the work is done in the doctor’s office and the other half at home.
The adoption of the following hygiene and dietary, non-pharmacological measures is an integral part of the treatment:
• Do some aerobic exercise
• Abstain from salt
• Lose weight
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
• Quit smoking
• Follow a Mediterranean diet
We have several effective drugs for the regulation of hypertension, even in the form of two or three different substances combined in one pill. Substance combinations improve
treatment compliance and the regulation of hypertensive patients.
The effective treatment of hypertension leads to a beneficial reduction in cardiovascular events (heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease that leads to an artificial kidney, etc.) and cardiovascular deaths, as well as an improvement in the quality of life of hypertensive patients.
Hypertension does not come with symptoms, so proper and regular blood pressure taking is important in order to get an early diagnosis as well as effective treatment.
The close cooperation of the patient with the doctor is a necessary condition to achieving a reduction in the number of deaths and impairments, as well as a significant improvement in the patients’ quality of life.
