World Hypertension Day丨Collect this anti-stress manual to help you stay away from the "invisible killer"

May 17, 2023 is the 19th "World Hypertension Day". The theme of this year's event is "Accurate measurement, effective control, health and longevity".

Hypertension is the most common chronic disease and the main risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. According to the "China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report 2021", the number of people with hypertension in China is about 245 million, of which about half of the patients do not know that they are ill, and about 80% of hypertension is related to unhealthy lifestyles.

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There are several misunderstandings about hypertension that need to be recognized!

Myth 1: If you don’t have a headache or feel dizzy, it means your hypertension is not serious.

Expert answer: Clinically, some patients with hypertension do not have any symptoms, so blood pressure cannot be judged based on symptoms alone.

Long-term high blood pressure without effective treatment can lead to heart, brain and kidney lesions, which is the "target organ damage" of high blood pressure. Doctors use blood pressure values ​​and a combination of various methods to check the degree of damage to these target organs to determine the severity of high blood pressure, but it is not based on symptoms. In fact, high blood pressure is also called the "silent killer" because many people have no symptoms, and the first manifestation is serious consequences such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and even death. Experts suggest that even if patients with high blood pressure have no symptoms, they need to use medication to control their blood pressure and take medication regularly.

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Myth 2: If there are no discomfort symptoms and blood pressure is only slightly elevated, there is no need to take medicine.

Expert answer: Whether the patient needs to continue taking the medication requires professional evaluation by a doctor.

The guidelines recommend that patients with mild hypertension who have just been discovered and have no other risk factors or target organ damage from hypertension should be given lifestyle improvements within 3 to 6 months. In addition, antihypertensive drugs should be used under the guidance of a doctor in other cases. Antihypertensive drugs can protect blood vessels and prevent damage to multiple organ functions. Stopping the drug without authorization is not conducive to blood pressure recovery, and blood pressure may rise again, and may even cause diseases such as stroke.

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Myth 3: Drinking red wine can lower blood pressure.

Expert answer: There is currently no relevant research to prove that red wine has the effect of lowering blood pressure.

There is a natural compound called "resveratrol" in red wine, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects. However, its content is extremely low, and the so-called health benefits are almost negligible. Alcohol is more harmful to the body, and drinking has the effect of raising blood pressure; long-term drinkers also have difficulty controlling their blood pressure. For those who do not have the habit of drinking, drinking is not recommended. For those who have the habit of drinking, it is also recommended to drink less.

Myth 4: Taking the same antihypertensive drug for a long time will cause dependence.

Expert answer: It is incorrect to say that antihypertensive drugs are addictive.

Antihypertensive drugs are non-addictive drugs and patients will not become dependent on them after taking them. Compared with the harm of high blood pressure, the side effects of antihypertensive drugs on the human body are negligible, so we should not stop taking them because of fear of choking.

So, how can we measure blood pressure most accurately? What are the dangers of high blood pressure? How to stabilize blood pressure? Keep this anti-stress manual to help you stay away from the "invisible killer"!

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Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, People's Daily, etc.