Hypertensive heart disease (HHD) is a disorder that grows in individuals having increasing and uncontrolled blood pressure for a long time. Hypertensive heart disease includes medical conditions like heart failure and arrhythmias. It happens when an individual cannot maintain hypertension and high blood pressure. High blood pressure of more than 120/80 mmHg can lead to hypertensive heart disorder. Aging and increasing high blood pressure can lead to an increased risk of heart disorders; heart failure can occur in individuals older than 65.
Hypertension can make men double as likely and women thrice more likely to experience heart failure. However, people who can maintain high blood pressure are the least likely to experience heart failure.
Individuals with hypertensive heart disorder are likely to experience the following circumstances
- Decompensated heart failure: Decompensated heart failure (DHF) is a clinical syndrome in which a functional or structural change in the heart can lead to an inability to accommodate or eject blood within physiological pressure levels.
- Acute coronary syndrome: An acute coronary syndrome ACS states three kinds of coronary artery disorders that can affect numerous individuals. ACS can lead to heart attack and unstable angina because of clogged arteries.
- Sudden cardiac death is when an individual experiences abrupt loss in the heart’s functioning, consciousness, and breathing. Moreover, this can be caused when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked.
What are the kinds of hypertensive heart disorders?
Individuals with high blood pressure can experience the following health disorders:
- Coronary artery disorder:
- CAD (Coronary artery disease) is the build-up of plaque in the arteries that transport oxygen-rich blood to an individual’s heart. The plaque leads to a blockage or narrowing that can eventually result in a heart attack.
- Left ventricular hypertrophy:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy is a narrowing of the walls of the left ventricle, which is the heart’s main chamber.
How common is hypertensive heart disorder?
Every three persons in the U.S experience high blood pressure, but only a few individuals with hypertensive disorder can manage their blood pressure. Moreover, high blood pressure can also lead to other cardiovascular illnesses and death.
Who is most likely at higher risk of developing hypertensive heart disease?
Individuals are at higher risk of hypertensive heart disorder if they have:
- Lack of exercise.
- High blood pressure.
- Are older than 45.
- Have diabetes.
- They are obese.
- They have high cholesterol levels.
- If they include a high amount of salt in their appetite.
- If they use tobacco products and smoke.
- If they drink alcohol.
How can an individual reduce the risk of hypertensive heart disorder?
The risk of hypertensive heart disorder can be decreased with lifestyle changes like:
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Working out.
- Eating healthy food.
What are the reasons for hypertensive heart disorder?
The high blood pressure levels in an individual not controlled for a long time can be the main reason for a hypertensive heart disorder.
What are the indications of hypertensive heart disorder?
Symptoms of hypertensive heart disorder may not be visible to most individuals; however, the signs of cardiovascular disease often show up after an individual’s heart has already been damaged. The symptoms may include the following:
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest pain.
- Stroke.
- Fainting.
- Palpitations.
- Dizziness.
- Sudden cardiac death.
How do you manage the symptoms of an individual with hypertensive heart disorder?
To manage the symptoms of hypertensive heart disorder, the individual can do the following things:
- Following-up the on medical appointments on time.
- Keep taking medicine prescribed by the consultant.
- Get yourself treated for any medical changes you encounter.
- Make healthier changes to the lifestyle.
When should an individual visit the health advisor?
Individuals with hypertensive heart disorder usually do not have symptoms, so individuals need to pay a regular visit to the healthcare provider. The healthcare provider will examine an individual’s condition and ask for their medical background and questions related to any family member with heart illnesses. They can also ask for a physical exam to better understand the individual’s condition.
How to diagnose hypertensive heart disorder?
The consultant would want to carry out the following tests:
- Blood test.
- Echocardiogram if needed.
- Urine test.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG).
How to treat hypertensive heart disorder?
The consultant will study the causes of hypertensive heart disorder in an individual and then prescribe medicines which are as follows:
- Calcium channel blockers that make an individual’s blood vessels vide.
- Diuretics that make the individual’s body clear excess fluid out.
- Vasodilators that aid blood vessels get broader.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors that aid in relaxing the blood vessels of an individuals
- Beta-blockers slow down an individual’s heart rate.
- Renin-inhibitors that aid in loosening up the blood vessels of an individual.
References:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-cardiac-arrest/symptoms-causes/syc-20350634#:~:text=Sudden%20cardiac%20arrest%20is%20the,blood%20flow%20to%20your%20body. Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4878602/#:~:text=Decompensated%20heart%20failure%20(DHF)%20is,immediate%20therapeutic%20intervention(1). . Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/hypertensive-heart-disease. Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/162449-overview. Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22910-acute-coronary-syndrome. Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16898-coronary-artery-disease. Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21883-left-ventricular-hypertrophy. Retrieved on 24 August 2022
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21840-hypertensive-heart-disease#:~:text=What%20is%20hypertensive%20heart%20disease,high%20blood%20pressure%20(hypertension). Retrieved on 24 August 2022
