The Aforementioned

As mentioned in the previous post, I am attempting to publish more regularly for the month of November. This is to be the first post in that series. As that I'm studying pharmacy, it seems fitting to focus on public health issues. Therefore, that is likely to be a common theme for these posts.

One of the bigger health problems in modern America is hypertension, or high blood pressure. Heart problems are the leading cause of death in the United States and in most developed nations, so they're becoming of increasing concern to health professional. Hypertension is considered a high risk factor for heart problems, so it's reasonable to start with that.

Before jumping into things, it's important to mention that while heart disease is the leading cause of death in this nation, it's not necessarily a bad sign like most people would like to point out. The rise in chronic, or recurring, diseases is the modern world means that more sudden causes of death due to communicable diseases caused by viruses and bacteria are falling. (Antibiotics and vaccines have much to do with this.) Something has to be the most common cause of death and everyone dies eventually, so in some ways it's just poor form to blow the issue out of proportion. This is not to say that chronic diseases lack cause for concern, however.

There are a few causes of high blood pressure, and some of them have a genetic link. Suffice to say that the body has things called baroreceptors that measure the blood pressure and report it back to the brain. Normally, the brain will control blood pressure in ways such as removing water from the body if the pressure is too high. That's part of why salt intake is important. More on that later. In some people, the baroreceptors are content to maintain a higher blood pressure than is considered healthy due to certain genetic factors. This leads to a constant high blood pressure.

The problems associated with high blood pressure may not be readily obvious. The circulatory system just pumps blood around in a loop, so pressure throughout the system doesn't really have any impact on blood flow. However, a closer inspection shows that things under pressure are more likely to rupture and release the pressure. In the case of the blood vessels, that's decidedly a very bad thing. When a vessel ruptures in the wrong place, there are significant problems. A vessel breaking open in the brain can lead to a stroke, which is decidedly bad. As such, it's important that pressure be maintained below a certain threshold, normally defined as 120/80, values that correlate to pressures in the arteries measured in mm Hg for when the heart is contracted versus when it is relaxed.

When measuring blood pressure, there are some important things to note. First, people get nervous about all sorts of things, including seeing a health care professional. This is aptly named White Coat Syndrome and causes someone's blood pressure to rise, resulting in an inaccurate reading. Exercise also notably increases blood pressure as the heart has to work harder to keep muscles supplied with oxygen. As such, blood pressure should be taken when someone is relaxed, which in reality is least likely to happen at the doctor's office where anxiety runs rampant.

This post is already rather long, so in another, I'll discuss how to manage high blood pressure. Managing any chronic condition can be a daunting task and in itself rather stressful, so the topic deserves it's own post.