Over a billion people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure, often in less affluent countries.
Let’s break down what this condition means, its association with heart disease, and the recent findings that shed light on it.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when blood exerts excessive force against artery walls, which transport blood throughout the body. We measure blood pressure with two numbers:
- Systolic Blood Pressure: The force when the heart beats.
- Diastolic Blood Pressure: The force when the heart rests between beats.
You’re diagnosed with high blood pressure if these readings are too high on separate occasions.
The Connection to Heart Disease
Across the globe, high blood pressure is a leading factor in heart disease. As blood pressure rises, so does the risk of heart disease and its associated fatalities.
Especially, the systolic pressure plays a pivotal role. But, it remains uncertain if diastolic pressure holds the same significance.
Additionally, high blood sugar is also associated with heart disease. However, it’s unclear how it interacts with high blood pressure in this context.
Delving into the Research
Dr. Kazuya Fujihara and Prof. Hirohito Sone delved into these uncertainties.
They scrutinized the new benchmarks from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, which classify a reading above 130/80 as high.
Their study was a deep dive into over 800,000 Japanese health records, segmenting them based on blood sugar levels and subsequently blood pressure, aiming to understand the link between blood pressure, blood sugar, heart disease, and stroke in practical conditions.
Research Outcomes
The findings unveiled that an increase in blood pressure consistently correlated with a higher risk of heart disease or stroke across all blood sugar categories.
Elevated diastolic pressure, in particular, heightened these risks.
Moreover, combining high blood sugar and high blood pressure multiplied the heart disease and stroke risks.
These observations are crucial given that health trends in Asia differ from the West, with Asia witnessing fewer heart diseases but more strokes and distinct diabetes patterns. Hence, such insights can shape tailored health guidelines for Asians.
Dr. Fujihara stressed the benefits of maintaining systolic pressure below 120 and advocated lifestyle improvements like reduced salt consumption for even slightly raised blood pressure.
However, for a comprehensive understanding, especially concerning individuals with high blood sugar levels, further studies are needed.
If you’re concerned about blood pressure, it’s advisable to stay updated with recent research.
Currently, discussions are ongoing about potential causes of high blood pressure and the implications of certain medications on heart health.
Moreover, for a holistic understanding of heart health, insights on the effects of mid-age exercises and promising drug combinations can be invaluable.
This groundbreaking study found its place in the journal Diabetes Care.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that eating more eggs is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and how to eat to reduce heart disease death risk if you have diabetes.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about 5 dangerous signs you have a diabetes-related eye disease, and results showing why pomegranate is super fruit for people with diabetes.
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