Classification of high blood pressure

Doctors have been sounding the alarm for years: Arterial hypertension remains the leading cause of cardiovascular death in developed countries that have overcome the epidemic.It is comparable to diabetes in terms of number of complications and poor prognosis.At the same time, the disease is rapidly affecting younger people.Decades ago, a 35-year-old stroke victim was considered nonsense.Such cases would surprise no one these days.

According to the World Health Organization, about a quarter of the world's inhabitants suffer from arterial hypertension.Half of people over 65 have high blood pressure.

What disease is this?

Hypertension refers to a disease of the cardiovascular system.Its presence results in a sustained increase in systemic arterial blood pressure.

By itself, compression of the vessel wall is a necessary, normal process and is necessary for the movement of blood through the vessel.During sleep, the pressure decreases slightly, and during periods of stress or physical activity, the opposite is true.

The standard blood pressure for young people (which may vary slightly from person to person) is 120/75 mmHg.Art.It is 130/80 for those over forty and 135/84 for those over fifty.If the pressure regularly rises to 140/90, your doctor will talk about high blood pressure.

There are two types of blood pressure:

1. Systolic blood pressure.The first, top number represents the strength of your blood pressure as your heart contracts and pushes blood out of your arteries.
2. diastole.The second, lower number shows blood pressure when the heart muscle (heart muscle) is relaxing.

Arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) is not without reason called the "silent killer": it can lead to the development of a variety of conditions.The heart and brain are particularly affected.In severe cases, it can even lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Classification of high blood pressure

The risks of high blood pressure are impressive, which is why scientists have been studying it since the beginning of the last century.During this time, the classification changed more than once, but formed two directions:

1. When classifying according to the stage of development of the disease, doctors consider the connection between high blood pressure and risk factors for its development.However, they never reached full agreement—the debate continues.
2. Identification of disease variants.This approach delves into the causes of hypertension, the stages and mechanisms of its development.

This article will discuss several classifications proposed by scientists.

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This is how a German doctor classified the disease.F. Volgard classified the disease into red and pale by observing patients.In the first case, when the pressure increases, there is a noticeable redness of the face and body due to the dilation of the capillaries.Red spots often appear.In the second case, people with this disease experience spasms of blood vessels, surges in pressure, become cold and pale.

By place of origin

Doctors usually identify degrees of high blood pressure: primary (hypertension) and secondary (symptomatic) hypertension.

The specific cause of primary emergence and development has not been found.It has three degrees.

Grade 1 arterial hypertension is called "mild."Pressure - 140–159 and 90–99 mm Hg.Art.Blood pressure "jumps," sometimes rising and then returning to normal.There is a critical subgroup of grade 1 hypertension with indicators of 140-149 and 90-94 mm Hg.Art.Crisis (a sharp and sudden jump) is very unlikely to occur, and if it does occur it is rare.

But with stage 2 hypertension (moderate), the risk is greater.Tonometry showed 160–179 and 100–109 mmHg.Art.Second-degree hypertension is characterized by increasing pressure.

Stage III disease (severe) can be life-threatening, especially if it is associated with concomitant medical conditions.This level is characterized by indicators greater than 180 and greater than 110 mmHg.Art.

Sometimes a person develops problems from just one type of stress.High blood pressure is then called isolated hypertension and there are two variants of high blood pressure:

1. Systolic blood pressure.Pressure greater than 140 and less than 90 mmHg.Art.;
2. Subgroup: Cutoff – 140–149 and less than 90 mmHg.Art.In this case, the "upper" pressure climbs to 140 mmHg.Art.and higher, while "lower" is still normal.And then we're talking about an isolated form of systolic hypertension.

Secondary hypertension is less common, diagnosed in about 20% of cases (25% in young people under 35 years of age).This disease is caused by disease of a specific organ.Most of the time, this symptomatic high blood pressure is caused by kidney problems.The professor proposed to divide it into endocrine type, neurogenic type, renal type and hemodynamic type.Doctors still use it today.

stages of hypertension

In recent years, experts have divided arterial hypertension into three stages.The stages of hypertension (stage 1, 2, and 3) show how the disease progresses over time.This division therefore reflects pathological conditions that arise in the body over the years.

In 1999, scientists decided it would be more accurate to classify the disease by degree.There are three of these, each representing a series of changes in digital blood pressure values (already discussed above).

In some categories you can find stage 4 hypertension.Its lower limits: systolic blood pressure indicator - 210, diastolic blood pressure - more than 110.When an expert indicates stage 4 of the disease, he is referring to the numerical stress indicator, not the patient's condition, since hypertension is stage 3.Also considered severe.

With chronic high blood pressure, the body is unable to cope with the stress, and problems with the organs begin.Those organs that are affected early are called target organs by doctors.In addition to the heart and brain, it also includes the retina and kidneys.The staging of hypertension is based on the impact on these vulnerabilities.

First, during the first stages of the development of hypertension, the organs are still healthy.Often patients with high blood pressure will not go to the hospital at first because they feel it is bearable and will not particularly interfere with their lives.Hypertensive crises are the exception rather than the rule.Patients in the early stages of hypertension neglect health problems in vain because the disease is most easily tamed at this stage.Sometimes, treatment of stage 1 hypertension depends more on lifestyle changes than taking medications.But it's necessary.Therefore, when the tonometer regularly shows high levels, it is best to see a specialist.Prompt treatment will help prevent the development of "silent killers."

Stage 2 hypertension is characterized by persistent high blood pressure.The heart is the first to give up - the left ventricle begins to enlarge and "thicken".Some develop retinal vascular defects in addition to cardiac dysfunction.Hypertensive patients are in the second stage.Crisis occurs much more frequently.But the disease is still treatable.If your doctor diagnoses "stage 2 hypertension", your advice should be followed especially carefully.As the disease progresses, it becomes life-threatening.

When stage III hypertension occurs, a range of complications occur in all target organs.The pressure surge of stage III hypertension may be accompanied by heart failure and cardiac asthma attacks.Atherosclerosis, angina, renal failure and other "gifts" often appear.Typically, the third stage of hypertension is noticed when a patient is already suffering from fundus bleeding, heart disease, aneurysm, stroke, and other conditions.

Signs of blood pressure problems

Prompt recognition of hypertension and knowing how long a person has had it are top priorities.Many people with hypertension do not learn of their diagnosis until three or more years after onset.

Factors that increase the risk of developing high blood pressure include genetics, being overweight, smoking, regular stress, elevated cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle, and old age.

If you see the following, sound the alarm:

• Occasional headache;
• "Threat" of pain in the back of the head or a blow to the temple;
• Frequently feel nauseous and dizzy;
• Strong flashes of light or "black flies" flying in the eyes;
• Everything is annoying or masked by indifference;
• tingling or numbness in your fingers;
• swelling of the arms, legs, and/or face;
• Suddenly there was a rapid heartbeat.

If you know yourself, you should at least measure your blood pressure systematically.But of course it's best to go to the hospital.

Diagnosis of arterial hypertension

If chronic hypertension is suspected, doctors use three diagnostic methods.

The first and simplest one is to measure blood pressure.

The second is a comprehensive physical examination.It can only be performed by experts.He performs palpation and auscultation (analyzing the sounds made by various organs as they work), percussion (hitting various parts of the body and drawing conclusions based on the sounds), as well as standard examinations.

In the third case, an electrocardiogram helps draw conclusions.

So what awaits you when you arrive at the hospital with suspected hypertension?

First, your doctor will check your blood pressure using a special device called a tonometer.By the way, for people with excitable nervous systems, even slight mood swings can increase blood pressure.Such patients experience "white coat" syndrome when seeing their doctor: Once the doctor starts taking blood pressure measurements, the blood pressure rises.But the cause of these fluctuations is stress, not illness.Although in the long term, this response to shock may disrupt the normal functioning of the heart and kidneys.For these susceptible patients, the healthcare provider will check the pressure multiple times under different conditions.

• Physical examination.Collect information about the patient's height, weight, and body mass index.Experts look for evidence of symptomatic hypertension.
• Medical history.If you don’t interview the patient – you’re going nowhere.It is necessary to know what diseases a person has suffered from before and whether he is suffering from any pain now.Analyze risk factors and lifestyle (presence of bad habits, diet, cholesterol levels; determine whether you have diabetes), whether your parents have high blood pressure.
• Physical examination.First, the doctor will listen to the heart using a listening endoscope.The task is to identify noise, pitch changes, or the presence, if any, of extraneous sounds.With this study, it is possible to exclude cardiac defects and draw preliminary conclusions about its condition in the context of hypertension.
• Blood chemistry tests.There is a need to know sugar, cholesterol and lipoprotein levels and to understand a person's predisposition to atherosclerosis.
• Electrocardiogram.An electrocardiogram is an integral part of the diagnostic process.It helps to see irregularities in the heart rhythm.With the results, we can determine whether there is hypertrophy of the left heart wall, which is typical of arterial hypertension.
• Cardiac ultrasound examination.With its help, doctors can see pictures of changes and heart defects, assess the function and condition of the valves.
• X-ray examination.Doctors perform arteriography and aortography.With their help, specialists study the arterial wall and its lumen to exclude the presence of congenital narrowing (coarctation) of the aorta and atherosclerotic plaques.
• Dopplerography.When diagnosing arterial hypertension, doctors examine the condition of the brain and carotid arteries.Ultrasound is harmless and does not cause complications while helping to determine the strength of blood flow through arteries and veins.
• Thyroid ultrasound.Doctors need the results of blood tests to determine the levels of hormones produced by the thyroid gland, among other data.Based on the findings, we will know whether the thyroid plays a role in the development of the disease and what treatments should be used.
• Kidney ultrasound.These organs and their blood vessels are very susceptible to the effects of high blood pressure.This study helps assess their status.

Treatment

Today, there are many ways to treat high blood pressure.Some have come to us from ancient times;Pharmacists and scientists have been working for years to create other medicines.

The most common method is medication.Doctors use a variety of medications to normalize blood pressure.

1. The purpose of calcium antagonists is to lower the heart rate.
2. Diuretics, most commonly thiazide diuretics, can improve urine production and waste products.
3. Adrenergic drugs.
4. Vasodilators dilate blood vessels, thus balancing the situation.

In some cases, a surgical procedure called ablation is used.This process is not easy.A catheter with a device that generates radio waves is inserted into the patient's vein.With their help, the network of nerves near the renal arteries is damaged.To prevent scarring after the intervention, the entire length of the vein is affected.Performed under local anesthesia.

Various methods in the past have been classified as alternative medicine.These include leg parkas, vinegar lotion and more.

Non-traditional treatments based on valerian, motherwort, beet, lemon, honey and horseradish are also effective in treating arterial hypertension.

There are many herbal decoctions available for the treatment of arterial hypertension.Here is an example:

Take 1 tbsp.Motherwort, valerian root and coriander.mix.Pour a tablespoon of this mixture into a cup of boiling water and leave it for an hour.Take 1/3 cup 3 times daily.The course is designed to last one month.

There are also temple teas and homeopathic medicines designed to help treat high blood pressure.However, it is best to consult a specialist before treatment.

Arterial hypertension is a dangerous disease if left untreated.You need to monitor your health at any age, as the modern pace of life often leads to the development of disease.Regardless of the stage or degree of hypertension, if left untreated, it can have fatal consequences.