Hypertensive heart disease is a heart condition that develops as a result of long-term high blood pressure, or chronic arterial hypertension, a much more common health issue than many people think.
The myocardium is the heart’s muscular tissue responsible for pumping blood through the circulatory system via contraction.
When a person has significantly high blood pressure, the heart is forced to work harder to pump blood, which, over time, causes the myocardium to thicken.
High blood pressure often presents no symptoms, and people can live with the condition — and its consequences — for years without realizing it.
In some cases, symptoms only appear after many years of poor blood pressure management, by which point the heart may already be damaged. A cardiologist should evaluate this.
What Is Hypertension?
In the body, blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of the arteries. When this pressure becomes too high, the person is considered to have hypertension or high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured using two values: Systolic pressure the pressure when the heart contracts
and diastolic pressure the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats
A person is diagnosed with hypertension when their readings are consistently above 140 mmHg systolic and above 90 mmHg diastolic, on two or more consecutive days.
Types of Hypertensive Heart Disease
There are three main types of hypertensive heart disease:
- Heart failure: occurs when the heart cannot pump blood with the force or volume required for the body’s needs.
- Myocardial ischemia: blood flow to the heart is reduced, limiting the oxygen supply to the cardiac muscle.
- Atrial fibrillation: the heart’s atria beat irregularly and very rapidly, which can impair blood flow and may lead to blood clots.
These conditions may appear independently or together, and their progression and severity vary from person to person.
Symptoms of Hypertensive Heart Disease
High blood pressure may be accompanied by symptoms such as severe headache, confusion, nausea or vomiting, changes in vision y nosebleeds
Because hypertension often has no initial symptoms, it is advisable to undergo regular check-ups to monitor blood pressure levels. If high blood pressure is detected, treatment and lifestyle modifications should be started to lower it.
At the ABC Medical Center’s Cardiovascular Center, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
MedlinePlus, UnidadMedica, Scielo
