Can high blood pressure kill you?

Hypertension is a very risky disease for patients. If they do not receive timely treatment when they are sick, it is very likely that the patients will lose their lives. In addition, hypertension can also lead to more serious consequences such as heart failure, cerebral infarction, and kidney dysfunction. Therefore, patients with hypertension must control their blood pressure in a timely manner, maintain a regular schedule, and eat a reasonable diet.

1. Causes

1. Genetic factors

About 60% of patients with hypertension have a family history. It is currently believed to be caused by polygenic inheritance, and 30% to 50% of patients with hypertension have a genetic background.

2. Mental and environmental factors

Long-term mental stress, excitement, anxiety, noise or adverse visual stimulation can also cause hypertension.

3. Age Factor

The incidence rate tends to increase with age, and is highest in people over 40 years old.

4. Lifestyle factors

An unreasonable dietary structure, such as excessive sodium salt, low-potassium diet, heavy drinking, and excessive intake of saturated fatty acids can all increase blood pressure. Smoking can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis and is a risk factor for hypertension.

5. Effects of medications

Contraceptives, hormones, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, etc. can all affect blood pressure.

6. Influence of other diseases

Obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, thyroid disease, renal artery stenosis, renal parenchymal damage, adrenal space-occupying lesions, pheochromocytoma, other neuroendocrine tumors, etc.

2. Hazards

1. Can cause heart failure and cerebral infarction

Hypertension can eventually lead to heart failure if not treated with medication. Leading to organ ischemia and organ damage. In particular, it can lead to myocardial hypertrophy, coronary heart disease, heart failure and even shortness of breath. Similarly, high blood pressure can lead to atherosclerosis, resulting in blood vessel blockage, blood clot formation, and blood vessel rupture, which can quickly lead to death in severe cases.

2. Lead to kidney failure

If long-term hypertension is not treated, it will lead to hardening of the renal arterioles in the organ, which will cause renal function decline, protein and red blood cells to appear in the urine, and in severe cases, uremia will occur, which is what we call renal failure. This will cause great harm to the human body.

3. May cause sudden death

Patients with hypertension may seem normal, no different from normal people, but it is like a time bomb that can cause death and take the patient's life at any time. It mainly causes accelerated heartbeat, difficulty breathing, confusion, heavy heart load, ventricular hypertrophy, abnormal heart rate, and can quickly lead to sudden death in cardiovascular patients.

3. Prevention methods

Hypertension is a preventable and controllable disease. People with blood pressure in the upper normal range of 130-139/85-89 mmHg, who are overweight/obese, who have a long-term high-salt diet, and who drink excessively should be given key interventions, have regular health checks, and actively control risk factors.

For patients with hypertension, regular follow-up and blood pressure measurement should be carried out, with particular attention paid to the management of blood pressure in the morning. Hypertension should be actively treated (drug therapy and lifestyle intervention at the same time) to slow down target organ damage, prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular, cerebrorenal and renal complications, and reduce disability and mortality rates.