Hypertension as Mysteries and Myths are Constantly Being Debunked.
Recent studies have revealed that, of all the countries surveyed globally, South Africa(Alcohol and stress carried over from the Apartheid era?) has the highest prevalence of hypertension, closely followed by Russia(vodka?), in which over 70% of people aged above 50 years are hypertensive. The sad thing is that most of these people do not even know they have the condition and, worse still, of course, their condition is not managed.
Hypertension, especially, predisposes people to stroke and heart attack. High bad-cholesterol and other fats, and hence weight, affect high blood pressure. Diabetes, as well. Hence the need for exercise to control weight and bring about other health benefits. Nutritional choices are important as they influence body weight and cell protection. Psychological stress and infections, smoking and alcohol intake, play a part, as well, for the strain they put on the body and the stress they inflict on cells.
Raised blood pressure will break loose plaque laid down in blood vessels walls, in concert with bad cholesterol and this may then block and occlude a blood vessel which is leading to the heart or brain, thereby shutting down blood supply and depriving cells of the much needed oxygen and nutrients. Alternatively, bleeding may occur from a damaged or traumatized vessel and a clot will form and block the vessel. Major bleeding will divert blood away from the vessel leading into the brain tissue to areas where it serves no purpose other than forming a hardened clot(hematoma), out of the vessel, in the brain tissue. This presses against the blood vessel, further obstructing flow. In yet another scenario, the plaque may grow and directly block the blood vessel entirely or variably narrows it down so much that it reduces blood flow and causes stasis that promotes blood clot. The results are all the same in that the vital heart or brain tissue is deprived of nutrients and oxygen. This leads to collapsus.
Our lifestyles are a very important determinant of our health. What we eat or drink can either build or damage as well as destroy our cells and limit our body functions. Damage to the body cell membrane by bad cholesterol, alcohol, tobacco, other toxicants or toxins will cause sodium(from common salt) to move into the cell. The cell swells and this causes hypertension(latest finding). It has also been noticed that salt enters fat cells and causes them to store more fat(another latest). This again leads to obesity. Decreasing salt intake helps. Untreated infections and psychological stress, apart from directly damaging our cells, can alter the way our body handles food and will increase our bad cholesterol level or lead to diabetes which plays an important role in hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
Genetics has been advanced to support inherited predisposition to hypertension but equally epigenetics, which explains the modification of gene expression, through lifestyles and nutrition, has been shown to annul some of the traits we inherit from our forebearers; and we could susequently transmit these lifestyle epigenetic markers to our progenies(offsprings) who, I must emphasize, should continue to lead the changed lifestyles led by their parent(s), expressed as epigenetic markers, to continuously benefit from the inherited new expression(trait) in genes derived from the epigenetic modifications.
The human body functions as one, with each part playing a unique, yet dependent role in the one whole body. We cannot emphasize the role of one part and keep the other parts completely out of the equation of life. The various human variables factor into the expression that defines the overall health equation.In the health equation, some factors have negative effects while others favor good health. It is only when we increase the positives and get rid of the negatives that we can achieve the optimal health outcome we need and desire. There is neither a magic bullet to fight bad health nor a miracle pill to attain good health. Just a series of minor adjustments that increase our odds in favor of good health and those against poor health.
To recapitulate:
Lack of movement or exercise(sedentary lifestyle), within the socio-economic context that our people live, has a major role to play in terms of obesity, bad cholesterol, damage to cells, hypertension, brain attack(stroke) and heart attack.
Alcohol intake, stress, smoking and intake of largely poor starchy food with little nutrient, produce potentially damaging effects on our body cells and will lead to hypertension and predispose us to heart attack and stroke. Poor nutrition deprives us of body building elements, needed to fight off damage to our body cells and withstand constant damage that we are prone to. This is especially significant if we indulge in unhealthy body damaging practices.
Like I said earlier each individual lives a set of his or her own unique realities, in socio-economic terms, that defines the personal health equation. Life is a balancing act. And its survivors are those who do the balancing of the life's equation well. This is especially true for the health equation that I have characterized above. Most often there are many easy-to-identify signals, way before the impending health disaster strikes. Do you easily run out of breath? Do you feel pains as you take a brisk walk? Do you easily get confused? Do you have frequent and sometimes severe headaches? In as much as these are important questions one needs to pose, only a qualified medical personnel can make the appropriate diagnosis.
In this context, do we have the gateway to the health care provider to access preventive care or treat the problem if one is set and established already? On a personal note, do we read health literature, given that to be forewarned is to be forearmed or do we treat it with the disdain that it definitely does not deserve?
Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso M.D.
Hypertension, especially, predisposes people to stroke and heart attack. High bad-cholesterol and other fats, and hence weight, affect high blood pressure. Diabetes, as well. Hence the need for exercise to control weight and bring about other health benefits. Nutritional choices are important as they influence body weight and cell protection. Psychological stress and infections, smoking and alcohol intake, play a part, as well, for the strain they put on the body and the stress they inflict on cells.
Raised blood pressure will break loose plaque laid down in blood vessels walls, in concert with bad cholesterol and this may then block and occlude a blood vessel which is leading to the heart or brain, thereby shutting down blood supply and depriving cells of the much needed oxygen and nutrients. Alternatively, bleeding may occur from a damaged or traumatized vessel and a clot will form and block the vessel. Major bleeding will divert blood away from the vessel leading into the brain tissue to areas where it serves no purpose other than forming a hardened clot(hematoma), out of the vessel, in the brain tissue. This presses against the blood vessel, further obstructing flow. In yet another scenario, the plaque may grow and directly block the blood vessel entirely or variably narrows it down so much that it reduces blood flow and causes stasis that promotes blood clot. The results are all the same in that the vital heart or brain tissue is deprived of nutrients and oxygen. This leads to collapsus.
Our lifestyles are a very important determinant of our health. What we eat or drink can either build or damage as well as destroy our cells and limit our body functions. Damage to the body cell membrane by bad cholesterol, alcohol, tobacco, other toxicants or toxins will cause sodium(from common salt) to move into the cell. The cell swells and this causes hypertension(latest finding). It has also been noticed that salt enters fat cells and causes them to store more fat(another latest). This again leads to obesity. Decreasing salt intake helps. Untreated infections and psychological stress, apart from directly damaging our cells, can alter the way our body handles food and will increase our bad cholesterol level or lead to diabetes which plays an important role in hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
Genetics has been advanced to support inherited predisposition to hypertension but equally epigenetics, which explains the modification of gene expression, through lifestyles and nutrition, has been shown to annul some of the traits we inherit from our forebearers; and we could susequently transmit these lifestyle epigenetic markers to our progenies(offsprings) who, I must emphasize, should continue to lead the changed lifestyles led by their parent(s), expressed as epigenetic markers, to continuously benefit from the inherited new expression(trait) in genes derived from the epigenetic modifications.
The human body functions as one, with each part playing a unique, yet dependent role in the one whole body. We cannot emphasize the role of one part and keep the other parts completely out of the equation of life. The various human variables factor into the expression that defines the overall health equation.In the health equation, some factors have negative effects while others favor good health. It is only when we increase the positives and get rid of the negatives that we can achieve the optimal health outcome we need and desire. There is neither a magic bullet to fight bad health nor a miracle pill to attain good health. Just a series of minor adjustments that increase our odds in favor of good health and those against poor health.
To recapitulate:
Lack of movement or exercise(sedentary lifestyle), within the socio-economic context that our people live, has a major role to play in terms of obesity, bad cholesterol, damage to cells, hypertension, brain attack(stroke) and heart attack.
Alcohol intake, stress, smoking and intake of largely poor starchy food with little nutrient, produce potentially damaging effects on our body cells and will lead to hypertension and predispose us to heart attack and stroke. Poor nutrition deprives us of body building elements, needed to fight off damage to our body cells and withstand constant damage that we are prone to. This is especially significant if we indulge in unhealthy body damaging practices.
Like I said earlier each individual lives a set of his or her own unique realities, in socio-economic terms, that defines the personal health equation. Life is a balancing act. And its survivors are those who do the balancing of the life's equation well. This is especially true for the health equation that I have characterized above. Most often there are many easy-to-identify signals, way before the impending health disaster strikes. Do you easily run out of breath? Do you feel pains as you take a brisk walk? Do you easily get confused? Do you have frequent and sometimes severe headaches? In as much as these are important questions one needs to pose, only a qualified medical personnel can make the appropriate diagnosis.
In this context, do we have the gateway to the health care provider to access preventive care or treat the problem if one is set and established already? On a personal note, do we read health literature, given that to be forewarned is to be forearmed or do we treat it with the disdain that it definitely does not deserve?
Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso M.D.
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