The figures are alarming. According to the latest INEI survey, more than 5.6 million Peruvians suffer from high blood pressure and most of them do not know it, which puts their lives at serious risk. Permanent disability, progressive renal failure and death are frequent complications of poorly controlled blood pressure. This condition, like diabetes and dyslipidemias, can only be controlled with medication and a healthy lifestyle, explains Dr. Martin Salazar, cardiologist at our clinic and president of the Peruvian Society of Arterial Hypertension.

What is blood pressure?

• Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries, driven by each beat of the heart. It is necessary for the blood to reach places farther away from the heart, such as the brain and lower limbs. The nervous system, the kidneys and the arteries themselves regulate the pressure so that it remains within physiological and safe ranges for the organism.
• The cut-off point for defining arterial hypertension is 140/90 millimeters of mercury, but in certain conditions of higher risk, such as people who already have damage to the aforementioned organs or have diabetes, it may be necessary to treat them when the pressure is higher than 130/80.

What factors increase the likelihood of high blood pressure?

• Among the factors that can be modified are physical inactivity, overweight, smoking, excessive consumption of salt, alcohol and poor diet. Multiple studies indicate that people with a high level of stress and who do not get enough sleep are more likely to develop high blood pressure over time.
• There are other factors that cannot be modified, such as aging (the older you get, the more likely you are to develop hypertension), being black and genetic load.

How to effectively prevent high blood pressure?

Lead a healthy lifestyle, exercise (at least 30 minutes 5 days a week), consume little salt (if possible less than a teaspoon or 5 grams), include fruits and vegetables in the daily diet, do not smoke, do not drink alcohol in excess, maintain an adequate weight and sleep 7 to 9 hours a day.

Importance of preventive check-ups

• All adults at least once a year should know their blood pressure values, especially if they are above 120/80 mm Hg. If they have risk medical conditions such as diabetes, renal failure, smoking or family history of cardiovascular disease before the age of 50, they should be evaluated more frequently. Even in children, blood pressure should be measured, especially if they have obesity, prematurity or thyroid, rheumatologic or renal diseases.
• When hypertension is not controlled, it can damage the brain (stroke and/or vascular dementia), the heart (myocardial infarction or heart failure, arrhythmias, sudden death), the kidneys (chronic renal failure), the eyes (retinal hemorrhages and blindness), among other organs. For this reason, it is very important to respect the treatment and to measure your blood pressure regularly in order to maintain normal values.

Dr. Martin Salazar
Cardiologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma and president of the Peruvian Society of Arterial Hypertension