Hypertension is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases today. The disease often progresses silently for a long time without clear signs, causing many people to only detect it when going for health check-ups or when complications have already appeared.
Many factors can increase the risk of disease such as eating too much salt, obesity, smoking, drinking alcohol, prolonged stress and lack of exercise. However, besides lifestyle, genetic factors are also considered important causes affecting the risk of high blood pressure.
According to Dr. Rasheed Ahmad, Head of Interventional Cardiology, Manipal Hospital, Jaipur (India), blood pressure is regulated by many organs and systems in the body such as the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and hormones. Genetic factors can affect the ability to control salt levels, balance fluids and blood vessel activity, thereby increasing the risk of high blood pressure in some people, even when young or without many risk factors from lifestyle.
The risk of the disease is also higher if one or both parents have high blood pressure, especially when the disease appears early. In addition, family history of diabetes, obesity or high cholesterol can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure in later generations.
One of the worrying issues is that high blood pressure often progresses silently for many years. Most patients do not notice symptoms in the early stages until blood pressure rises or complications occur. Some symptoms that may appear include headache, dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision or shortness of breath. However, many people still feel completely normal even though blood pressure is already at a dangerous level.
Therefore, people with a family history of hypertension should not wait until symptoms appear to go for health check-ups. Periodic screening helps detect risks early and have timely control measures.
Basic checks to be done include blood pressure measurement, blood sugar tests, cholesterol and blood fat tests, kidney function assessment, weight and BMI. In addition, doctors can also assess diet and lifestyle habits to identify related risk factors.
Early detection helps reduce the risk of dangerous complications to the heart, brain, kidneys and blood vessels. If not well controlled, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, or chronic kidney disease.
Although genetic factors cannot be changed, many healthy living habits can still help reduce the risk of disease. A low-salt diet, limiting processed foods, exercising regularly, maintaining a reasonable weight, getting enough sleep and avoiding smoking are important measures to effectively control blood pressure.
Experts recommend that everyone should have their blood pressure checked periodically, especially if someone in the family has cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure from an early age.
