Medication is often not enough: high blood pressure is deadly – but there are three simple measures to protect you
Email Share More Twitter Print Feedback Report an error
Spotted an Error?
Please mark the relevant words in the text. With just two clicks you can report the error to the editorial team.
There is no genetic engineering in the plant
But don’t worry: they are genetically modified
High blood pressure is life-threatening. Not necessarily now, but in the long term. For half of the patients, medication is not enough to achieve normal values. But three small lifestyle changes could prevent 50 percent of strokes and heart attacks – and they work better than blood pressure lowering drugs.
Links marked with a symbol or underline are affiliate links. If a purchase is made, we receive a commission – at no additional cost to you! More info
The fatal risk that high blood pressure carries is underestimated: 2.2 million women and 1.8 million men in Europe die every year as a result of high blood pressure, especially from strokes and heart attacks.
“Around 50 percent of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented if high blood pressure were diagnosed early and counteracted optimally,” says Martin Halle, medical director of the Center for Prevention and Sports Medicine at the Technical University of Munich and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Heart Foundation.
The optimal blood pressure value is not the limit value
According to the current European guidelines, blood pressure values of 140/90 mmHg or more are considered too high. “However, the optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg,” clarifies the professor. As is well known, the unit of measurement mmHg stands for the millimeters (mm) that the pressure of the blood causes to rise one column of mercury.
Patients are often satisfied if their blood pressure is 140/90 or a little lower. “Always just scraping the upper limit is not a good approach,” warns the cardiologist and advises not to aim for the limit value, but rather the top value of 120/80 mmHg.
Even slightly increased blood pressure damages the blood vessels
Just ten or 20 mmHg more stresses the vessels, permanently damaging them and subsequently triggering cardiovascular events. Only with the best value of 120/80 mmHg are the vessels not unfavorably stressed.
Exciting, but no time right now?
If the blood pressure is 20 or even 40 mm more, the negative effect can be illustrated using an example, as Martin Halle explains: If the blood pressure reaches 160 instead of 120, the mercury column rises four centimeters higher than normal.
But blood is much thinner than mercury. A lot of force is required for a water column to rise by a comparable 50 centimeters. If a person tries to use a syringe to reach these 50 centimeters in the measuring tube with every heartbeat, they will be exhausted after a minute. However, this is the output that the heart has to constantly deliver when there is high blood pressure. “The difference between a blood pressure of 160 and 120 is enormous and puts an extraordinary strain on the heart,” emphasizes the cardiologist. At the same time, the high pressure overloads and damages the vessels.
Deadly consequences for the brain, kidneys and heart
This particularly affects the vessels in the brain, the heart and the kidneys. A vessel can burst in the brain (stroke), in the heart (heart attack) and if the vessels in the kidneys gradually fail, kidney failure sets in, resulting in dependence on dialysis.
What is even less known is that high blood pressure also damages the heart muscle in the long term. “The heart muscle constantly has to fight against the high pressure, which causes it to wear out,” says Halle. This also wears out the electrical center in the heart, leading to cardiac arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation. This increases the tendency to blood clots and thrombi can form. If they block vessels, depending on the location, a heart attack, stroke or embolism occurs, for example in the leg or groin.
What is also often overlooked is that strokes and heart attacks are not harmless diseases. “50 percent end up fatal sooner or later, for the others a stroke often leaves them with pronounced frailty, and after the heart attack there is a significant loss of performance,” warns the cardiologist.
[Anzeige] Prepare now for an emergency
The three main causes of high blood pressure
But high blood pressure now affects almost one in three people in Germany. “High blood pressure has become an epidemic,” warns the professor.
The reasons why high blood pressure affects more and more people are obvious.
Overweight
Lack of exercise
wrong diet
If these factors increase, high blood pressure, medically known as hypertension, occurs more and more frequently. “Especially our diet in Germany with sausage, cheese and bread is not conducive to optimal blood pressure values because these foods contain too much salt,” says Martin Halle, citing one of the most important risk factors for high blood pressure.
High blood pressure doesn’t hurt – so have it measured annually
Hypertension is often only recognized when the high pressure has already left its mark on the vessels and organs. High blood pressure does not cause specific symptoms such as certain pain. Occur frequently
Daytime tiredness
fatigue
Headache
However, a doctor should clarify this, says Halle and generally recommends an annual blood pressure check for everyone. There is no lower age limit because school children already have high blood pressure, caused by the three main risk factors: lack of exercise, poor diet and obesity. By the way, different standard values apply to children; they are a maximum of 120/85 mmHg.
Hypertension therapy: five medications
If high blood pressure has been diagnosed, medication is part of the therapy, especially if the values are higher. There are different groups of active ingredients available, here are the most important ones:
ACE-Hemmer
Sartan
Calcium antagonists
Beta-Blocker
Dehydrating agent
“There are no real differences between ACE inhibitors and sartans, they are effective and dilate the vessels in the periphery,” the expert explains their effect. It’s similar with calcium antagonists. The water tablets work differently; they remove fluid from the body, thereby reducing the blood volume and reducing the pressure on the vessel walls. Beta blockers lower the pulse rate and thus relieve the strain on the heart.
Monotherapy is now considered outdated; it makes most sense to combine two active ingredients, such as ACE inhibitors with water tablets.
Help with high blood pressure
High blood pressure can lead to serious illnesses. Our PDF guide shows how you can permanently lower it and strengthen your heart.
Despite antihypertensive medications, blood pressure often remains too high
However, around half of patients who are treated with medication still have high blood pressure values, even if they are taking medication. Because the remedies have a fairly mild effect. “One active ingredient lowers blood pressure by 5 to 7 mmHg, two by at least 10 to 14,” he states the facts. With a high blood pressure of 160/95 mmHg, this is a significant reduction, but ultimately does not lead to the desired 120/80 mmHg.
Surfing tips on the subject of blood pressure:
Reduce high blood pressure naturally – in fifteen minutes a day
Three small lifestyle changes, on the other hand, have significantly clearer results. “Exercise is particularly impressive in this context – just a 15-minute walk every day can lower blood pressure by 5 to 8 mmHg,” says the prevention expert.
However, this is a minimum – and you should really incorporate this exercise unit into your daily schedule. Endurance sports such as cycling, hiking, Nordic walking and jogging are also ideal – don’t put yourself under pressure, don’t demand any performance, but simply enjoy the exercise in the fresh air. That would Lifestyle change number one.
Every kilogram less relieves the strain on the heart and blood vessels
Weight loss is at least as important, Lifestyle change number two. “10 kilograms less reduces blood pressure by 5 to 10 mmHg,” says Martin Halle, giving the exact numbers. The easiest way to do this is with a modified diet change; a strict diet is not necessary. “A lot more vegetables, not just one type per meal, but better two or three, but a lot less bread, sausage and cheese,” he summarizes Lifestyle change number three together. Positive side effect: By the way, less salt is consumed with a vegetable-heavy diet. A high salt intake can also promote high blood pressure.
This is a natural way to replace antihypertensive drugs
A healthy, vegetable-rich diet plus daily exercise automatically leads to weight loss – and these are the three most important, natural aids against high blood pressure, which may work at least as well as a blood pressure lowering drug.
That’s why doctors recommend losing weight, exercise and changing your diet as the sole therapy for mild high blood pressure – this often normalizes your blood pressure and means you can avoid medication altogether.
Even those who already have to take medication can benefit significantly from this combination. “We can then gradually reduce the medication for not all, but many patients,” reports the expert from the practice. Of course, this tapering must not be carried out without medical supervision.
“High blood pressure is an epidemic, but you can get it under control in this way,” summarizes the prevention expert. This healthy lifestyle is also recommended in other contexts – it can prevent diabetes and reduce the risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s and osteoarthritis. So everyone benefits from it in many different ways.