On the National Day for the Prevention and Combat of Hypertension, celebrated this Wednesday (26), specialists point out that this type of chronic disease is silent in the initial phase and does not show very clear signs to lead the patient to seek medical help. According to data from the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC), arterial hypertension or high blood pressure is considered one of the main causes of death in Brazil, with a record of 400 deaths per year. The disease affects 32% of the adult population in the world, which represents more than 1 billion people. In an interview with Agência Brasil, the scientific director of the Department of Hypertension of the Society of Cardiology of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Socerj), Rachid Montenegro, highlighted the importance of assessing blood pressure, due to the silent character of the disease, which can bring complications, including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease. Cardiologist Alexandre Scotti, responsible for the sector at Badim Hospital, commented that the National Day to Prevent and Combat Hypertension serves as a warning to raise awareness of society about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. He noted that hypertension is one of the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, he said that it is fundamental for the patient to monitor his condition, always checking his pressure and keeping preventive exams up to date. Montenegro reported that if the patient has normal pressure, he should check his pressure at least once a year. A 12/8 pressure is considered normal. The more below 120 by 80, the better it is”, assured the expert. For Montenegro, the first step in preventing high blood pressure is early identification. Alexandre Scotti drew attention to the fact that the initial symptoms of hypertension are frequent headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations and changes in vision. Habits The director argued that there is a genetic issue that cannot be changed. People with parents, mothers, siblings, grandparents with hypertension are at increased risk. “There is a genetic load related to that.” Alexandre Scotti advised patients with a family history of cardiovascular disease that, although it is best to see a cardiologist after 40 years of age, this group of patients needs to start cardiological follow-up earlier, after 30 years of age. The Socerj Congress, held last week, also brought up the issue of so-called pre-hypertensives, whose systolic pressure varies between 130 and 139 and diastolic pressure between 85 and 89. To prevent those with normal blood pressure and those with pre-hypertension from developing hypertension, Montenegro indicated that there is a lot related to life habits that “can and should” be modified. Reducing salt intake is one of them. “There are very positive policies from the Ministry of Health reducing the addition of sodium in processed foods. So, the indication is to reduce the salt in food, the consumption of processed foods that are very high in sodium, which is an agent placed in most processed foods as a preservative”, said Montenegro. Cardiologist Alexandre Scotti added that, as food is one of the most important allies in the fight against hypertension, the treatment of the disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. “In addition to follow-up with a cardiologist, the patient must be supervised by a nutritionist, who will provide guidelines for an adequate and balanced diet,” he commented. He also said that, in certain cases, psychological help is also welcome and can help a lot in the treatment. Exercises Socerj’s scientific director also recalled the importance of physical activity as an ally in combating high blood pressure. “Practicing at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, in addition to weight reduction, with a healthy diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and greens, less red meat, fat and salt”. He pointed out that weight control greatly reduces blood pressure and decreases the chance of a person developing hypertension. Another ally in preventing this chronic disease is not smoking, because substances contained in cigarettes are directly related to increased blood pressure. “Zeroing cigarette consumption is very important”. Another important thing is to reduce alcohol consumption as much as possible, as a measure of cardiovascular health, because there is also a relationship between alcohol consumption and the development of hypertension. Rachid Montenegro highlighted that if all these behaviors are followed, they can reduce the development of hypertension by up to 30%. “And consequently, up front, this reflects in a reduction in deaths. The cost of these measures is very low”. Retired Retired Paulo Alisson, 79 years old, was diagnosed with high blood pressure by the cardiologist eight years ago, when he felt tired when climbing stairs and carrying weight. Sometimes he had a little dizziness in the morning. “The cardiologist diagnosed that I had high blood pressure,” he said. Allison said that her biggest difficulty is eating. “I’m a bit gluttonous. I really like bread, cookies, and I have an eternal fight against the scale. But I try to walk a lot to balance it out, and my current weight is 78 kilos. Everything is under control”. After the medical diagnosis, Paulo takes a daily control medication. “I feel perfectly fine. I never had any problems again. Now I’m calm”. He recommended that people who have been diagnosed with this problem take it seriously, try to take the medicine correctly, do the corresponding tests, “because that way, everything goes well”.
Agência Brasil
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