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When do we say that a person suffers from high blood pressure or arterial hypertension?

Blood pressure is the pressure that our blood exerts on the heart and blood vessels or more generally on our circulatory system. When this pressure is elevated, we say that we have a person with Arterial Hypertension.

Normal blood pressure values ​​also depend on the comorbidities from which the person being examined suffers. It is also very important to know that blood pressure is different when we take it correctly at home with a reliable digital blood pressure monitor, in a quiet room after at least 5 minutes of rest, and different when taken in the outpatient clinics of a hospital or in a private clinic.

What do we mean when we say high and low pressure?

Blood pressure is distinguished:

1. in the pressure during which the heart is in the systolic phase and this is the high or systolic pressure and
2. in the pressure during the diastolic phase and this pressure is the low or diastolic pressure.

The normal values ​​of blood pressure based on both the European Society of Hypertension and the American Society have been defined as follows: Systolic < 140mmHg / Diastolic < 90 mmHg. Values ​​from 130 to 140 mmHg for systolic and 85 to 90 mmHg for diastolic have been characterized as prehypertension.

So: The ideal blood pressure for today’s data is: <130 mmHg is high, <80 mmHg is low.

It should be noted that for patients with diabetes mellitus, systolic pressure should be even lower (between 120 and 130 mmHg).

Arterial hypertension is a “Silent killer” of human nature which increases with age and affects both sexes with a low prevalence in men. The World Health Organization has established May 17 as “World Hypertension Day” to remind all of us of this invisible enemy of our health, because of which and its multiple complications, approximately 2,500,000 human lives are lost every day throughout the world.

How do we measure blood pressure?

The 10 reasons for the correct measurement of blood pressure:

1. Before the measurement, you need to rest for at least 5 minutes in a sitting or supine position and then the measurement follows.
2. The arm or wrist where the cuff is applied should be at the height of the heart and the hand should be stable and motionless.
3. Two or three measurements each time with an interval of 1-2 minutes are usually sufficient. We consider the latter measurements to be more reliable.
4. The cuff is placed directly on the arm and not over the sleeve.
5. The center of the balloon (usually there is a mark) must be over the point where the brachial artery is palpated (on the medial or flexor surface of the elbow).
6. The measurement when taken with a mechanical sphygmomanometer must always be done with headphones and these must be placed directly over the artery. Equally reliable is the measurement with a modern digital blood pressure monitor, preferably on the arm and not the wrist, in a calm environment as mentioned above.
7. The inflation of the blood pressure monitor should reach 200-220 mmHg.
8. The deflation should be done slowly (about 10 millimeters every 5 seconds).
9. The first clear rhythmic sound is the high pressure, while its disappearance is equivalent to the low pressure.
10. The pressure should be recorded in millimeters (e.g. 140 mmHg and not 14). Classic (mechanical or mercury) blood pressure monitors have an indication for every two millimeters of pressure, e.g. 100, 102, 104, etc. The pressure should not be rounded but should be recorded with the final even digit, e.g. 142-88 mmHg. Measurement with a digital blood pressure monitor must be particularly careful and is attempted in people with a relatively thin arm or wrist. Finally, you should avoid it in people who have arrhythmias (e.g. chronic atrial fibrillation, ventricular premature beats, etc.).

What should a hypertensive person do to deal with high blood pressure?

The 10 reasons for dealing with blood pressure:

1. Limit sodium intake as much as possible (table salt, various sodas, etc.).
2. Regulate body weight to normal.
3. Reduce animal and saturated fats in your diet.
4. Replace the above foods with lean white meats (chicken, turkey and fish).
5. Avoid excessive alcohol use.
6. Increase in physical activity during daily activities or planned exercise (in gyms, on the field, etc.).
7. Quit smoking. Reduction is not considered a satisfactory way to deal with it.
8. Control of daily physical and mental stress (avoidance of STRESS).
9. Control of other predisposing factors for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (regulation of cholesterol levels, monitoring of blood sugar, weight loss).
10. Cardiac monitoring and laboratory documentation every 6 or 12 months at the latest with heart ultrasound and, for cases with large fluctuations in blood pressure, 24-hour study with portable measuring devices (Holter pressure).