The alphabet of a healthy heart: high blood pressure

Measuring a patient’s blood pressure counts as one of the most common medical examinations. It was introduced approximately 300 years ago, when the English physiologist Stephen Hales used this method on a horse for the first time. Nowadays, blood pressure is measured non invasively, by way of a pressure sleeve and a stethoscope or a digital measuring device. This technique was developed by the Italian doctor Scipione Riva-Rocci in the 19th century – which is the reason for abbreviating blood pressure with RR to this day. In 1905, the Russian doctor Nicolai Korotkow elaborated on the procedure, giving the technique the form we know today. In the early stages of measuring blood pressure, mercury manometers were used for determining the data. The unit for this technique to this day remains mmHg, according to the millimeters of mercury.

During the process of measuring a patient’s blood pressure, there are always two values: the higher systolic, and the lower diastolic value. The systolic pressure is created by the heart, pressing out blood – this process is known as systole. The diastolic pressure is its counterpart, which evolves during the heart’s relaxation phase, while being filled with blood. Norm values for systolic pressure lie between 100 and 129 mmHg, for diastolic pressure between 60 and 84 mmHg. Optimal pressure, in general, lies at 120/80 (systolic/diastolic). Up until the value of 139/89, blood pressure is defined as ‘within high-normal margins’. Every value above this number counts as arterial hypertonia, which is divided into three severities, according to the exact pressure.

Almost every second person develops an arterial hypertonia during the course of their life, almost 90% of which develop the primary or essential hypertonia, which occurs without recognizable reason. Promoting factors such as old age, adiposity, low physical activity, high alcohol or nicotine consumption as well as high-salt intake can increase the risk of falling ill to this hypertonia. High psychological strains and hypertonia cases in the family should not be underestimated either.

Symptoms of a hypertonia can be headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, nose bleeds or extrasystoles. In most cases, a hypertonia remains undiscovered for a long time though. It is a serious illness that results in many severe complications. An arterial hypertonia is an important risk factor for the development of arteriosclerosis, which in turn is responsible for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. The high blood pressure damages the organs, and a heart insufficiency can develop if the heart underprovides arteriosclerotically mutated vessels, or has to fight against increased pressure in the vascular system. Damages in the kidney and eye retina are also possible complications that can be caused through high blood pressure.

Due to many secondary complications, it is essential to recognize and treat a hypertonia early on. The first method of choice, to treat hypertonia, is a change of lifestyle. Reducing weight, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, increasing physical activities and learning relaxation techniques for high stress situations, can all help to permanently lower one's blood pressure. In case these techniques are not enough or cannot be executed by the patient, medicinal therapy is needed. A wide variety of medicine can help reduce high blood pressure, according to the individual’s risk factors and secondary complications. For younger patients, the main goal in a therapy is to achieve normal blood pressure values to minimize the risk of secondary diseases. Checking a patient’s blood pressure is a standard procedure and should be taken into account even with young patients, as in many cases the hypertonia remains unnoticed for many years, leading to severe consequences. Once a hypertonia has been diagnosed, it is also important to constantly monitor the developments.

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