Nagpur: Consider a case shared by physician Dr Arti Daraskar: A 36-year old patient was first detected with
hypertension during a pre-medical check-up for change of company. “I asked him to come for follow-up regularly, but he stopped after three months. When I met him at a social gathering, he said he was fine after he started practising yoga,” said Dr Daraskar. Nearly six months later, the patient died of brain haemorrhage.
“Another patient from Madhya Pradesh came to me with loss of vision caused due to blood pressure of 270/170. Yet, he wasn’t ready to be hospitalized. In India, we believe that high blood pressure is a normal thing,” she said, adding that hypertension may not show any symptoms.
“Unless 70 per cent of our organs are damaged, a patient may not have any complaint,” said the doctor, who runs Indrani Hospital at Ramdaspeth, adding that hypertension is most prevalent among adults aged between 30-40 years but now it has also started affecting people even as young as 17 years. Peer pressure, career worries and lifestyle may be some of the causes.
Cause and effect
Main cause for hypertension is stress and lifestyle. “Hypertension is a triggering mechanism from head to toe and is a risk factor for several complications such as eye problem, brain paralysis, stroke, acute heart attack and kidney problems,” said physician Dr Satish Poshattiwar who runs a clinic on Central Bazaar Road. Controlling hypertension will reduce hospitalizations, he said.
Calling hypertension a silent killer, he added that most patients come to the clinic in the third stage when nearly 60 per cent of their organs are damaged. “We should have machines in public areas to check blood pressure the way we check weight,” he suggested.
New age drugs
Every medicine has a side effect, and regular follow up is necessary. “Calcium channel blockers can cause edema (swollen) feet. Ace Inhibitors can cause dry cough. Some drugs lower the heart rate. However, new age drugs such as Efonidipine assure minimum side effects and specific action on the molecule. Newer ARBS group of drugs claim to provide more kidney protection,” said Dr Daraskar.
Individualized treatment is the best way for hypertension, said physician Dr Rani Lakhe, adding that new drugs encourage patient compliance as they need to be taken only once a day.
KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL
Normal range for blood pressure: 120/80
Maximum limit for blood pressure: 130/90
Risk factors for hypertension: Smoking, tobacco and alcohol consumption, obesity, family history and sedentary lifestyle
Remedies
Avoid fast food, eating outside
Avoid food with preservatives
Eat early dinners
Get adequate sleep
Regular walking for at least 30 minutes, yoga
Increase intake of green vegetables and fruits
