Video talk on high blood pressure – BY Dr Harold Gunatillake

Script
Let us discuss today, the importance of checking your blood pressure regularly.When you are 40 and over, it is advised that you check your BP annually.Owning your own BP apparatus would be an impetus for such recordings, regularly When you are a kid, your heart works beautifully with absolute, no strain. This is attributed to the fact that all your arteries -major, minor and minute tributaries to the fingers and toes are expandable, elastic and mobile, and not stiff, causing no resistance to the pumping action of your heart.

With age, the blood vessels seem to harden, become less expandable, becomes stiff and increases the resistance on pumping the blood from your heart.With increased resistance from the thickened blood vessels the heart needs to pump more forcefully.

That creates the higher pressure on the arteries, and that would be the onset of high blood pressure.

This pressure is measured by the sphygmomanometer by your doctor in his office. The upper reading is referred to as the systolic pressure, because that is a measure of how much the left ventricle of your heart is straining to pump the blood to the periphery.

When the left ventricle of your heart which pumps the blood to the periphery now needs to relax to fill with blood from the left upper chamber -called the left atrium.The lower pressure created in the blood vessels is related to the phase when the heart muscle relaxes between beats allowing the chambers to fill with blood. This is referred to as the diastolic pressure

So systolic pressure is when the heart contracts, and diastolic pressure is when the heart relaxes to fill with blood for the next beat, or you could say between beats. Adults should keep their systolic pressure at 120mm. of mercury and the diastolic could vary between 60 to 80 mm. of mercury.

When the diastolic pressure is more than 90 or higher means you have high blood pressure.

There was a time when your doctor would say when the BP is higher, it is okay for your age.

Now, it is believed that all adults at any age should keep the BP consistently at 120/60-70

Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures are important, but for those forty and older systolic is more important than the diastolic. It is the systolic pressure what increases our risk of having a heart attack, stroke or artery disease in the legs. So, remember, that systolic BP is more important and needs to be kept at 120mm of mercury.
No bargaining at all.

When the BP increases with a systolic pressure of 180 mm of mercury or higher or a bottom number of 120mm Hg can damage blood vessels and is referred to as a hypertensive crisis.

In the early stages of rising blood pressure, it happens so slowly over months or years, the body seems to accommodate the increase until such time the vessels cannot tolerate anymore, and the warning signs are imminent.

This is the main reason why you should check your BP at home or with your doctor frequently with every visit to your doctor, to prevent such episodes that can cause instant death.

How can you prevent high blood pressure?
The answer applies to all chronic diseases whether it’s high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes among others.

Eat the right foods meaning unprocessed low fat, and low carb in small quantities at a meal.

Avoid animal foods with high saturated fats.
Avoid those foods in the refrigerated section of your supermarket where all frozen foods are saturated with transfat- a killer that is used to maintain the shelf life of foods.

Exercise daily, at least a brisk walk of 10,000 steps.
Control your diabetes with medication and low GI foods.
Eat more oily fish than meat. Oily fish contains omega 3 fatty acids that keep your blood vessels soft and elastic.
Now let’s talk about the pulse rate or heart rate
When you get your BP checked you don’t seem to record the pulse rate which is as important, for deciding on medication for high BP.

If your BP is high and pulse rate is also rapid- more than 80 per minute at rest, your doctor will prescribe certain drugs like betablockers and calcium blocker drugs in addition to slow the heart rate to about 70 at rest.

When you exercise your target heart rate tells you if you’re exercising too hard or not hard enough. Everyone’s target is different, but in general, during moderate or vigorous exercise, you want it to be between 50% and 85% of your maximum heart rate, which is the hardest your heart can work safely. Your maximum heart rate when you exercise should be 220 minus your age.

Using a heart rate monitor can help you get fit.
Wearable electronic heart monitors, and exercise machines with built-in heart sensors, can give you up-to-the-minute information on how hard your heart is working. That can tell you how hard you’re exercising. It can help you pace yourself, too. It may even help keep you motivated.
Summering
Hypertension is the most common condition seen in old people and lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, if not detected early and taken steps to treat adequately.
Blood pressure increase is inevitable as you age, due to the thickening of arteries- a natural event called arteriosclerosis.
The heart becomes strained to push the blood from its left ventricle into the circulatory system.
High blood pressure is avoidable if you take steps to check your BP regularly.
Hope this video has been useful.
Thank you for watching