Hypertensive heart disease can happen to anyone with uncontrollable blood pressure levels for a long time. This can cause major cardiac issues if left untreated. In this context, GS Hospital Pilkhuwa is one of the Best Heart Care Centers in Delhi-NCR takes an initiative to bring about awareness about hypertensive heart disease. It is important to address the high blood pressure levels at an early stage to prevent complicated chronic heart problems in the future.
Through this blog, GS Hospital helps in providing in-depth information with valuable insights on hypertensive heart disease. Let’s begin to know more about hypertensive heart disease and how to prevent high blood pressure levels.
What is hypertensive heart disease?
Hypertensive heart disease is a chronic condition that develops over a period of time and usually starts with high blood pressure issues. It is a group of medical problems that need attention. Hypertensive heart disease mainly comprises the following cardiac issues which are as follows:
● Heart failure
● Conduction arrhythmias
● Coronary heart diseases
● Left ventricular hypertrophy or enlarged heart
Chronic increased blood pressure higher than 120/80 mm of hg causes hypertensive heart disease. High blood pressure increases due to aging. This increases the risk of heart disease after the age of 60.
What happens in hypertensive heart diseases?
Chronic blood pressure causes a strain on the heart's blood vessels. This makes it difficult to pump blood to other parts of the body. This exerts pressure on the blood vessels of the heart making it weak and may lead to heart failure. With time, the heart vessels narrow and the muscles of the heart are thickened. This is mainly due to high cholesterol levels which may lead to an increased risk of heart attack and other hypertensive issues.
Incidence of hypertensive heart disease
The incidence of hypertensive heart disease is as follows:
● Coronary heart disease is the most common type of hypertensive heart disease.
● The incidence of high blood pressure is more common in men than women. Men are more prone to heart disease than women.
● As per WHO (World Health Organization) reports, it has been confirmed that 4 out of 5 people with hypertension are not adequately treated which may lead to hypertensive heart diseases.
Cause of hypertensive heart disease
The causes of hypertensive heart disease are as follows:
● Chronic high blood pressure problems
● Chronic diabetes
● Chronic high cholesterol levels
● Aging
● Stress causing inflammation
● Overweight and obesity
● Smoking or use of tobacco
● High salt diet
● High alcohol consumption
The main causative factor of hypertensive heart disease is uncontrollable high blood pressure levels which cannot be managed effectively with medications or lifestyle changes. Hence, it is important to check for blood pressure problems and manage it effectively.
Symptoms of hypertensive heart disease
During the initial stage, there are no symptoms of high blood pressure. Most of the time, the symptoms of hypertensive heart disease may show up after the damage to the cardiovascular system. Here are some of the important symptoms of hypertensive heart disease which are as follows:
● Chest pain
● Dizziness
● Tightness and pressure in the chest
● Fainting
● Excessive sweating
● High-stress levels
● Anxiety and panic attack
● Palpitations
● Fatigue
● Pain in the neck, back, arms, or shoulders
● Persistent cough
● Loss of appetite
● Leg or ankle swelling
● Shortness of breath
● Stroke
● Sudden cardiac death
How is hypertensive heart disease diagnosed?
The hypertensive heart disease is mainly diagnosed by a cardiologist. It is important to go through regular check-ups with your doctor to check your blood pressure on a timely basis.
Your doctor will ask the following questions to check for risk factors of hypertensive heart disease.
● Detailed case consultation with chief complaints
● Past medical history
● Family history of blood pressure problems and cardiac problems
● Physical exam to check for blood pressure
● Routine diagnostic tests like blood tests, lipid profiles, liver function tests and urine tests
● Specific diagnostics tests include electrocardiogram (EKG), and coronary angiography. stress test and echocardiogram
Management of hypertensive heart disease
Hypertensive heart disease can be managed in the following ways:
- Controlling blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels
- Regular monitoring of important cardiac parameters
- Weight management to control fat deposition
- Avoid smoking or using tobacco products
- Sweat it out with exercise, and walking
- Eat less sodium in the diet by controlling salt intake
- Choose a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables
- Consume protein-rich food such as eggs, fish, and lean chicken
- Drink more water and stay hydrated
- Have a sound sleep
- Reduce stress levels with yoga and meditation
- Consume meals at regular time
- Continue with the medicines as prescribed
- Get treated for your medical condition
- Make healthy lifestyle changes
- Go for regular follow-ups with the patient
Monitoring your blood pressure is one of the best ways to prevent hypertensive heart disease. It is important to control your blood pressure and cholesterol by eating a healthy diet, hydration, sound sleep, and de-stressing to prevent cardiac issues.
Treatment for hypertensive heart disease
Here is the treatment for hypertensive heart disease.
● Diuretics to clear out excess fluid
● Angiotensin-converting enzyme for smooth blood flow
● Angiotensin II receptor blocker to help improve blood flow
● Beta-blockers controls your heart rate and rhythm
● Calcium channel blockers to relax the blood vessels
● Vasodilator for dilating the blood vessels
● Renin-inhibitors to loosen up your blood vessels
Surgeries and devices
Here are some of the important recommended surgeries and devices for hypertensive heart disease.
Devices for hypertensive heart disease
In extreme or complicated cases, you may need heart surgery to improve the blood flow to your heart. Your doctor may regulate the heart rate and rhythm with a surgically implanted battery device called a pacemaker in your chest. It works as an electrical stimulator which is very important for the cardiac muscle. Apart from pacemakers, there are other cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) that work as implantable devices to treat life-threatening conditions.
Surgeries for hypertensive heart disease
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery helps in treating blocked coronary arteries which is mainly done in severe coronary heart disease. A heart transplant can also be suggested by the cardiologist depending on your case severity.
Complications of hypertensive heart diseases
The complications of hypertensive heart disease are as follows:
● Acute coronary syndrome
● Sudden cardiac disease
● Decompensated heart failure
● Arrhythmia
● Stroke
● Ischemic heart disease
● Atrial fibrillation
● Congestive heart failure
● Coronary artery disease
● Atherosclerosis
● Retinal disease
● Peripheral artery disease
● Chronic kidney disease
● Aortic aneurysm
Conclusion
The majority of the people remain undiagnosed of hypertensive problems without knowing about it. It is important to be aware of your blood pressure levels. GS Hospital, the Top Care Hospital in Ghaziabad, aims to provide the best cardiac care to the patient by checking blood pressure regularly for all the visited patients at the hospital. This makes them one of the Top Heart Care Hospitals in UP for the year 2023.
The recovery from hypertensive heart disease depends on the condition, severity, and intensity of the heart disease. Medications and lifestyle changes can bring about a major change in cardiac problems at an initial stage. However, surgery and devices may be recommended in severe cases or advanced cardiac problems.
Here is a valuable piece of advice from GS Hospital Pilkhuwa for hypertensive patients. It is important to take your blood pressure medicines and do a regular blood pressure check-up to monitor it timely. Keeping a log of your blood pressure helps in controlling chronic hypertensive issues. A healthy heart is a must for a healthy lifestyle.
