October 8
National Hypertension Day
This year's National Hypertension Day promotional theme is "You must know about blood pressure and reduce blood pressure must meet the standards" .
Hypertension can be regarded as the "invisible killer" of the cardiovascular system. Most patients have no obvious symptoms when their blood pressure rises. Many people have not noticed that their blood pressure has increased, nor have they further medical treatment and self-monitoring. When symptoms appear in the hospital, the organ function is often in a state of severe failure and it is difficult to recover.
"China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report 2021" shows that the number of hypertension in my country is 245 million. "China's Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Monitoring Survey" data shows that the awareness of hypertension among adults over 18 years old in my country in 2018 was 41.0%. How to control blood pressure? The following is believed to be the question in the minds of many patients with hypertension.
How can blood pressure be measured accurately? The question of
seems simple, but in fact many people have misunderstandings about it.
Misconception 1
In the hospital, it is accurate to measure
Most people will be more or less nervous when they come to the hospital or see a doctor. Moreover, the hospital environment is relatively noisy. In such an environment, blood pressure is likely to be higher than usual. We recommend that you take blood pressure at home, so that it can better reflect the real situation.
Misconception 2
mercury blood pressure meter is more accurate than electronic blood pressure meter
In fact, for the public who have not received professional training, it is difficult to accurately measure blood pressure using a mercury blood pressure meter.
Now most standard electronic blood pressure meters on the market can measure blood pressure stably and accurately. Of course, we should choose an arm sphygmomanometer instead of wrist sphygmomanometer .
To accurately measure blood pressure, there are several points to note:
1. The center of the sphygmomanometer The cuff should be flush with the heart. You can sit down or lie flat when measuring blood pressure.
2. Try to take off thicker clothes. Generally speaking, there is no problem in measuring with a thin sweater. But be careful not to roll up your sleeves onto your cuffs.
3. Be sure to rest well before measuring blood pressure, keep calm and relaxed.
4. It is best to measure blood pressure in both upper limbs when measuring blood pressure for the first time. If the blood pressure difference between the two is above 20/10 mmHg , the hand with a relatively high measurement value will be the main one when measuring blood pressure in the future. If the difference between the two is not large, blood pressure can be monitored on both hands.
5. It is recommended that patients with hypertension measure their blood pressure every day, preferably 2 to 3 times a day at different time points and record it to help doctors adjust their blood pressure reduction plans based on this.
Antihypertensive medicine can’t stop once you take it?
Control of blood pressure can protect the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs, and this is the purpose of taking antihypertensive drugs. But it should be clear that taking antihypertensive drugs is just a means, and which antihypertensive drugs to take and how long to take are determined by blood pressure control.
For example, some people can maintain their blood pressure by taking antihypertensive drugs regularly and changing their lifestyles, and they can reduce or even stop the medicine. On the contrary, even if some people take antihypertensive drugs, their blood pressure is still rising slowly. Not only can they not stop the medication, but they also need to add the medication.
In addition to taking antihypertensive drugs, some people with mild blood pressure can control their blood pressure to normal levels by adjusting their lifestyle. Most patients with hypertension need to take medication for a long time. But no matter what method is used, maintaining normal blood pressure is the most important thing.
Are there any side effects of taking antihypertensive drugs for a long time?
When it comes to medication, especially long-term medication, many people inevitably feel that it may damage the liver, kidneys, and stomach.In fact, multi-center clinical studies have confirmed that most antihypertensive drugs are very safe. Although they have some side effects, they are used reasonably under the guidance of a doctor and are controlled.
So, what are the side effects of common antihypertensive drugs?
ACEI (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) drugs (such as perindopril , enalapril , ramipril, etc.) and ARB (angiotensin II receptor blocker) drugs (such as valsartan , losartan , irbesartan , etc.) may increase blood creatinine. When taking these two types of drugs, blood creatinine needs to be tested. But it should be clear that this does not mean that these two types of drugs are harmful to the kidneys. Some patients with kidney disease will also take these two drugs to protect kidney function.
CCB (calcium ion channel blocker) drugs (such as nifedipine , amlodipine , etc.) Some people will experience lower limb edema after taking it, and a few people will have mild headaches.
β receptor blockers (such as metoprolol, bisoprolol) have the effect of lowering blood pressure and lowering heart rate after taking it. Patients need to monitor their heart rate. If the resting heart rate is less than 55 to 60 times per minute, they need to reduce or stop the medication.
diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide ) may cause hypokalemia. Taking this type of medication may cause orthostatic hypotension in the summer.
Overall, it is safe to take antihypertensive drugs for a long time, and the benefits outweigh the risks. Never refuse to take antihypertensive drugs because of worrying about the side effects of antihypertensive drugs!
Source: Healthy China
Author: Expert of the National Health Science Popularization Expert Database,
Director of the First Hospital of Peking University Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Internal Medicine, Li Jianping
Department of Cardiovascular Internal Medicine, First Hospital of Peking University Weng Haoyu
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