Friday, May 18, 2018

Be in Touch with Blood Pressure



Be in Touch with Blood Pressure this World Hypertension Day
SIRSA NEWS 
18th  May, 2018
Pictures and Videos: GS Mann, Amar Singh Jyani, Surender Sawant, Mukhtiar Singh Happy, Vikram Bhatia. Vikas Taneja
Be in Touch with Blood Pressure this World Hypertension Day




On World Hypertension Day 16th May 2018 an Informative Press Interface was held in Sirsa. Dr Ajay Poonia MD and Dr Viswanath V. DM Cardiology from Grant Medical College Mumbai gave important insight and tips for care and prevention of Hypertension. Tarun Raheja from CIPLA as part of CSR activity conducted this meet. This Video was recorded on 16th May 2018 in Sirsa.

Hypertension, simply known as high blood pressure (BP), is a common condition in which the BP value exceeds a certain threshold, i.e. >130/80 mm Hg. Uncontrolled high BP is dangerous as it can damage various vital organs such as the heart, kidneys or brain and can led to early death. Worldwide, hypertension is the leading risk factor for heart and blood vessel related diseases and is associated with at least 7.6 million deaths per year. Even in India, the burden of hypertension has reached alarmingly numbers with one in every three adult Indians suggested to be hypertensive.
However, huge number of individuals with the disease is not the only challenge in the management of hypertension. In a study, it was observed that, in India, only 42% of urban and 25% of rural hypertensive individuals were aware of their hypertension status. Of these hypertensive, only 38% of urban and 25% of rural patients were being treated but just one-fifth of urban and just one-tenth of rural hypertensives had their BP under control. Thus, unawareness of the condition is a big issue in India and needs to be address for the better health of the country.
On the occasion of World Hypertension Day, addressing the public, Dr Vishwanath V. said, “Hypertension is a silent killer; it often has no warning signs or symptoms and many people are unaware of its presence. Especially now after revision of hypertension guidelines many people can be diagnosed as ones with ‘hypertension’ and they will need lifestyle intervention and/ or drugs to manage their future risk. It is, therefore, important to check your BP, especially if you are a smoker, or are obese, or have an inactive lifestyle, or have a family history of hypertension. The simple step of knowing your BP value can save your life.”
Management of hypertension involves two basic approaches: improvement in lifestyle and intake of antihypertensive drugs as directed by the physicians. Explaining these points, Dr Ajay Poonia further said, “Lifestyle changes, though difficult, are vital in the management of high BP. Small changes in your daily life like including less salt in the diet, reducing intake of alcohol, and exercising regularly have a big impact. Other important aspect in hypertension management that is usually overlooked and which can be easily tackled is poor adherence to the treatment prescribed by the doctor. Many patients stop taking medicines on their own, without realizing that once you stop the medications the BP rises again and starts damaging the important organs of the body. Poor adherence is an important reason why many hypertension patients in our country do not have their BP under control. Thus, if you have hypertension, take the medicines as advised by your doctor, and check your BP regularly so that you and your doctor are aware that the medicines prescribed to you are working for you, if not your doctor can do necessary changes in your therapy.”
Thus, hypertension, though a huge burden, could easily be tackled with conscious steps such as regular BP check-ups, following the instructions given by the doctor and not stopping medicines without consulting the doctor.
Risk factors for high BP
1. Obesity/overweight
2. Smoking
3. Inactive lifestyle
4. High intake of salt
5. High intake of alcohol
6. Family history of hypertension
7. Stress
Lifestyle modification for management of BP
1. Maintain normal body weight
2. Quit smoking
3. Limit alcohol intake
4. Exercise regularly
5. Eat a healthy diet
6. Limit salt intake

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