Experts from the Ebserh Network emphasize the importance of prevention in the fight against high blood pressure

Brasilia DF) – According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), high blood pressure affects one in three adults worldwide and can cause heart attacks, heart failure, kidney damage and other health problems. In order to reinforce the importance of this topic, the National Day for Preventing and Coping with High Blood Pressure was created, April 26th. The date warns about ways to prevent the disease and face it.

The cardiologist at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco – HU-Univasf, Elisandra Alves, explains that Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) is a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood pressure levels that have a multifactorial cause that is not yet fully understood. “There are modifiable risk factors for the emergence of SAH such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excess stress, and non-modifiable risk factors such as genetics, race and aging itself. It is a disease that generally appears after the age of 40 and is asymptomatic in most cases,” she says.

Specialist in internal medicine and cardiology at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco, (HC-UFPE), Andréa Lordsleem details that systemic arterial hypertension is the increase in pressure within the arteries, which are the vessels that carry oxygen to the tissues. “We have two types of systemic arterial hypertension, primary, which affects a large portion of the population, more or less 90% of hypertensive patients, and secondary hypertension, which is a smaller part of patients, more or less 5 to 10%,” she says. .

“There are several causes for high blood pressure. Genetic factors play an important role, but inadequate lifestyle and habits are the main cause”, says cardiologist at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Piauí (HU-UFPI), Igor Campos. Among the factors he cited are a diet rich in salt, lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, as well as conditions such as obesity, chronic stress and certain endocrine conditions that can also contribute to the development of hypertension.

According to the nephrologist at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão (HU-UFMA), Érika Carneiro, prevention involves a set of measures such as physical exercise of at least 150 minutes per week; avoid processed foods; eat with little salt; drink plenty of water, two liters a day, and avoid being overweight and obese. For drug treatment, the main ones with cardiovascular impact are renin-angiotensin system blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics.

The cardiologist at the Professor Alberto Antunes University Hospital, at the Federal University of Alagoas (HUPAA-Ufal/Ebserh), Carina Dantas, reinforces the importance of early identification of the condition. “High blood pressure is the main modifiable risk factor with an independent, linear and continuous association with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and premature death. It is associated with metabolic risk factors for diseases of the cardiocirculatory and renal systems, such as dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, glucose intolerance, and diabetes mellitus (DM). It is a very prevalent condition, easy to diagnose and treatment available”, she emphasizes.

Furthermore, the cardiologist highlights that early identification has a significant impact on medical and socioeconomic costs, resulting from complications in target organs, fatal and non-fatal, such as: heart: coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and sudden death.

Treatment
Treatment for primary hypertension involves an adequate diet, low in sodium and saturated fat, rich in potassium and magnesium, in addition to maintaining an ideal weight and doing physical activity. In certain cases, depending on the patient’s risk, drug treatment is initiated. “It is a chronic disease, as it is the patient’s genetics, we have to advise the patient that the use of hypertensive drugs must be under medical supervision, each patient has their own specific medication”, informs Andréa Lordsleem.

About Ebserh

Linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC), Ebserh was created in 2011 and currently manages 41 federal university hospitals, supporting and boosting their activities through excellent management. As hospitals linked to federal universities, these units have specific characteristics: they serve patients from the Unified Health System (SUS) while supporting the training of health professionals and the development of research and innovation.

Ebserh Social Communication Coordination