Young men are more likely to suffer from hypertension than women. But post 60 years of age, more women develop high blood pressure than men.
More than 10 million hypertension cases are reported per year in India. Around 1/3rd of the number accounts for people who show no hypertension symptoms.
Learn about the hypertension causes and the mechanism of pressure rise in the sections to follow. This will help you to delve deep into the signs of rising blood pressure and the long time implications of hypertension.
Hypertension Pathophysiology
Hypertension definition can be put as a recurring rise of blood pressure in the arteries, which exceeds normal blood pressure of 140 over 90 mmHg. High BP indicates a blockage or narrowed down arteries which makes the heart pump more blood. High BP develops stealthily and damages your vital internal organs in the meantime.
Your blood pressure is composed of two pressure components.
Part of Blood Pressure Normal Reading Definition
Systolic Pressure Number Less than or equal to 120 It is the pressure created when your heart pumps blood throughout your body. It is the higher number of your blood pressure reading.
Diastolic Pressure Number Less than 80 The lower number of pressure reading is the pressure created in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.
Hypertension can be categorized into grades depending on the pressure reading range.
Blood Pressure Grade Systolic Reading (mmHg) Diastolic Reading (mmHg)
Normal <120 <80
Prehypertension 120-129 <80
Stage 1 Hypertension 130-139 80-89
Stage 2 Hypertension =>140 =>90
Hypertensive Emergency >180 >120
Your doctor or nurse will measure your resting blood pressure using a gauge and an inflatable shackle. The shackle inflates as the pump is compressed and then it is released. With the help of an attached stethoscope, he/she will hear the first whooshing sound which is the systolic pressure. The point on the gauge when the sound stops is the diastolic reading.
Hypertension pathophysiology deals with the physiological factors that contribute to high BP. Blood pressure is the combined result of cardiac yield and total vascular opposition of your body. Here is a list of such factors that contribute to elevated blood pressure.
Family history of hypertension points towards genetic mutation which can lead to hypertension in future generations. The mutation mainly affects reabsorption of salt by kidney and hyperlipidemia.
A hyper excited sympathetic nervous system can ruin cardiovascular homeostasis and increase your blood pressure.
Elevated levels of Renin enzyme can increase smooth muscle mass and cause constriction of blood vessels. This directly increases blood pressure.
Changes in the endothelium of blood vessels can deprive the body of substances influencing blood flow. This can change the vascular tone and disrupt constriction-dilation balance in your blood vessels.
High sodium and low potassium levels in your blood can also cause smooth muscle contraction of blood vessels and subsequent high blood pressure.