Hypertension in the elderly

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Do Nguyen Thuy Doan Trang - Head of Extracorporeal Circulation Team - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

High blood pressure in the elderly is not a new problem today, especially this situation is increasing and has a certain impact on normal life. So how to prevent and treat hypertension in the elderly?

Parallel to the aging population is the prevalence of hypertension in the elderly worldwide. According to the Vietnam National Heart Institute in 2015, the overall rate of hypertension is 47.3%, accounting for 60% in people over 60 years old and over 80% in people over 80 years old.
Hypertension in general and hypertension in the elderly in particular is the leading cause of death and causes many different dangerous diseases. Hypertension is a disorder that includes many factors, the elderly with hypertension have differences compared with other age groups such as:
Increased sensitivity to sodium salts, increased response to diuretic therapy, decreased activity renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system Isolated systolic hypertension is more common Increased arterial stiffness Endothelial dysfunction Increased frequency of white coat hypertension.

Elderly people's health often declines, so hypertension in the elderly often causes many dangerous complications such as:
Heart failure is the first complication, up to 90% of patients with heart failure are caused by: hypertension. This is an extremely dangerous complication because it happens silently for a long time, with a high risk of death if not treated promptly. Stroke . Brain complications may be encountered due to hypertension such as cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, cerebral ischemia. High blood pressure in the elderly can cause kidney failure because the filter of the kidney cells is damaged leading to proteinuria. Retinal blood vessels are damaged, retinal hemorrhages, impaired vision, even blindness. Diabetes and high blood pressure often go together, so people with high blood pressure should pay attention to periodic health check-ups to detect diabetes early if any.

In order to improve the quality of life as well as maintain a long life, it is extremely important to balance blood pressure, especially when the elderly are a group at high risk of hypertension. Although high blood pressure is dangerous, the treatment of this disease is mainly based on making daily lifestyle changes. The following are measures to prevent and treat hypertension in the elderly you should know:
Use of antihypertensive drugs in the elderly as prescribed by a doctor, a few commonly used drugs such as: diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, vasodilators... Elderly people with high blood pressure should regularly check their blood pressure at home, this helps to monitor blood pressure as well as the presence of blood pressure. Be prepared for possible high blood pressure problems. However, besides checking blood pressure, elderly people should have regular health check-ups, this is the most effective measure to detect and treat health-related problems, including hypertension. Limit salt intake: Many medical studies show a strong link between salt and high blood pressure. When too much salt is loaded into the body than needed, the amount of Na + will be transported into muscle cells, causing an increase in blood pressure. Eating lighter is an effective measure to help the elderly limit this situation from happening. Weight loss: Weight has a direct effect on hypertension, meaning that obese people are twice as likely to have high blood pressure compared to the general population. Therefore, losing weight for obese people and maintaining an ideal weight for normal people are extremely important in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Quit smoking: The amount of good cholesterol in the blood will decrease due to smoking a lot, increasing the risk of blood clots and making it difficult to recognize the symptoms of chest pain, making it difficult for patients to promptly recognize the risks of the body. In addition, smoking also reduces the activity of the cardiovascular system, the heart rate increases, causing many other dangerous diseases for the elderly. Exercise daily: Exercise is not only good for the elderly in particular, but has many benefits for all ages. Just walking briskly for about 30 minutes a day also helps the elderly to avoid many dangerous diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and even high blood pressure. A nutritious diet, increased intake of fiber, plant-based fats, and nuts has the effect of lowering bad cholesterol in the body. Limit the use of stimulants such as alcohol, coffee... These substances often have certain effects on blood pressure, especially in the elderly. Maintaining a scientific diet and a healthy lifestyle will help the blood pressure in the elderly return to balance soon and minimize the risk of common diseases.

In addition, to ensure safety and peace of mind about health status, Vinmec International General Hospital has implemented a general health checkup package for all subjects. Especially when performing this package, the elderly will be evaluated comprehensively through liver function tests, kidney function tests, blood cholesterol levels, blood triglycerides, blood sugar, blood pressure... The examination is performed by a team of highly qualified doctors with many years of experience in the profession combined with modern machinery systems. Therefore, customers can be assured of medical quality at Vinmec hospital.