Due to the natural aging of the human body, blood pressure also increases with age. Generally speaking, the blood pressure of the middle-aged and the elderly is higher than that of the young. The prevalence rate of hypertension among the middle-aged and the elderly is also significantly higher than that of the young.
However, many friends feel that it is normal for older people to have high blood pressure and need not be dealt with. This idea will lead to hypertension that cannot be effectively controlled for a long time. Once the disease deteriorates and progresses to hypertension crisis, it will cause damage to important organs such as heart, brain and kidney, leading to irreparable consequences. By then, control will have missed the opportunity.
Clinically, patients with hypertension often suffer from myocardial infarction and stroke because they fail to control their blood pressure to reach the standard.
There is no age difference in hypertension standards.
The diagnostic criteria for hypertension in China’s guidelines for hypertension are: systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg measured three times on different days without antihypertensive drugs. There is no [discrimination] against people of any age group. Adults should suffer from hypertension as long as their blood pressure exceeds the above indicators.
Blood pressure should be measured once a year for healthy adults, while blood pressure should be measured every six months for people prone to hypertension to detect hypertension at an early stage.
Vulnerable population:
(1) high blood pressure (SBP 130 ~ 139 mmHg and/or DBP 85 ~ 89 mmHg);
(2) Overweight (BMI 24 ~ 27.9 kg/m ²) or obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m ²), or abdominal obesity: waist circumference ≥ 90 cm (2.7 feet) for men and ≥ 85 cm (2.5 feet) for women;
(3) family history of hypertension;
(4) Long-term high salt diet;
(5) Long-term excessive drinking;
(6) Male age ≥ 55 years old, female postmenopausal.
A large number of studies have confirmed that early diagnosis of hypertension and early treatment can significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke and save lives.
Blood pressure is normal for a while and abnormal for a while?
Many middle-aged friends will find that their blood pressure always fluctuates around 140/90 mmHg, always wondering whether they are hypertension or not and whether they need treatment.
The doctor’s advice is that patients with blood pressure rise measured for the first time and meeting the diagnostic criteria for hypertension (i.e. Systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg) should be treated according to different situations.
Severe elevation
Systolic blood pressure ≥ 180 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 110 mmHg), excluding other interference factors, and after quiet rest, the retest is still severely elevated, which can be diagnosed as hypertension, and the cause of blood pressure elevation should be immediately identified and treatment should be started.
Mild to moderate elevation
Systolic blood pressure 140 ~ 180 mmHg; Or diastolic blood pressure 90 ~ 110 mmHg, it is recommended to retest blood pressure twice within 4 weeks, and all meet the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, then hypertension is diagnosed and relevant examination and treatment are carried out.
If the retest blood pressure does not meet the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, the number of blood pressure measurements will be increased and blood pressure will be measured at least once every 3-6 months. If blood pressure always fluctuates, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can be selected.
Even if the blood pressure does not meet the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, it cannot be underestimated. It can avoid the development of blood pressure by improving bad habits in daily life.
Facing up to Blood Pressure and Standardizing Treatment
The important reason why many hypertension patients are unwilling to treat hypertension regularly is to worry about the side effects of antihypertensive drugs.
After years of research and development, the current five categories of antihypertensive drugs have definite antihypertensive effects, with less side effects within the effective antihypertensive dose range, and the benefits of antihypertensive are far greater than the side effects.
Some patients after treatment blood pressure dropped to normal, they think that the disease is well, do not need to take medicine. This will lead to large fluctuations in blood pressure, more harm to the heart, brain and kidney, serious during the withdrawal of drugs may occur serious heart, brain and kidney complications.
It must be recognized that hypertension is a chronic disease that requires long-term control. After the blood pressure drops to normal, if the blood pressure is low, the dosage and types of antihypertensive drugs can be gradually reduced under the guidance of doctors, and the drugs must not be stopped casually, so as not to cause serious adverse consequences beyond regret.