Hypertensive heart disease

Your heart pumps blood through your body. Sometimes, blood pushes too hard. This is called high blood pressure. It can hurt your heart over time.

High blood pressure can make you feel tired. It might make your feet swell. Some people feel short of breath. You may not even feel sick.

Doctors can help keep your heart strong. Eating good food is a big help. Moving your body is also great. You can stay healthy by being active.

High blood pressure can hurt your heart. This is called hypertensive heart disease. It happens when blood pushes too hard. This can lead to heart failure. Heart failure means the heart cannot pump well.

Some people do not feel sick at first. You might not know you have it. If heart failure starts, you may feel tired. Your feet or ankles might swell. You might find it hard to breathe. Some people also feel sick to their stomachs.

Doctors can help you stay healthy. You can eat good food. You can also do regular exercise. This helps lower your risk. Some people may need to take medicine. It is important to talk to a doctor. They can check your blood pressure. This helps stop heart disease early. In 2013, over one million people died from this. High blood pressure affects many people in the world. It can also cause problems for your eyes and kidneys.

Hypertensive heart disease is a serious set of problems. It happens when high blood pressure hurts the heart. Doctors use special codes to name these heart issues. One major problem is heart failure. This is when the heart cannot pump blood well. The term is used when a death certificate links heart disease to high blood pressure.

This disease can work in many different ways. Sometimes the heart just gets bigger. This is called left ventricular hypertrophy. Other times, the heart muscle changes its shape. This is called left ventricular remodeling. If the heart fails, a person might feel very tired. They may also see swelling in their feet or ankles. Some people find it hard to breathe while sleeping flat.

Scientists and doctors track how this disease changes over time. In 1990, there were 630,000 deaths from this condition. By 2013, that number rose to 1.07 million deaths. In 2004, it caused about 1.7% of all deaths globally. This made it the 13th leading cause of death in the world. High blood pressure affects at least 26.4% of all people.

Doctors use numbers to check how high blood pressure is. A normal reading is less than 120 over 80. Stage I begins when the top number is 130 to 139. Stage II starts at a top number of 140 or more. The bottom number is also checked for these stages. For people with diabetes, the goal is lower. They should try to stay below 130 over 85.

Many things can help keep a heart healthy. People can change how they live to lower their risk. Eating good food and losing weight can help a lot. Regular aerobic exercise is also very useful. Some people must take medicine to control their blood pressure. It is important to avoid certain over the counter medicines. Some cough or cold medicines can make blood pressure worse.

Hypertensive heart disease refers to several different heart complications caused by high blood pressure. Medical professionals often use this term within the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding system. It specifically applies when a death certificate shows a causal link between hypertension and heart disease. This condition includes heart failure and other serious cardiac issues. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for other problems like atherosclerosis. This is the buildup of fats in the artery walls. Because of this link, death rates from hypertensive heart disease may not show the full impact of high blood pressure on the body.

The disease affects the heart muscle through several physical changes. One common change is left ventricular hypertrophy. This means the muscle of the heart's main pumping chamber becomes thickened. Another process is left ventricular remodeling. This is when the heart's shape changes due to the constant strain. These changes can lead to diminished coronary flow reserve. This term describes a reduced ability to increase blood flow to the heart muscle. It can also cause silent myocardial ischemia. This is a type of heart muscle damage that occurs without obvious symptoms.

Symptoms depend on whether a person has developed congestive heart failure. Many people with high blood pressure or hypertrophy have no symptoms at all. However, if heart failure occurs, many signs may appear. A person might feel intense fatigue or notice an irregular pulse. They may experience palpitations, which are feelings of a racing heart. Swelling in the feet and ankles is also common. Some people feel nausea or abdominal pain. Difficulty sleeping flat in bed is called orthopnea. Patients may also experience shortness of breath or a need to urinate more often at night.

Doctors categorize blood pressure levels to determine the stage of hypertension. A normal reading is less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic. Elevated blood pressure is between 120–129 systolic and less than 80 diastolic. Stage I hypertension is defined as 130–139 systolic or 80–89 diastolic. Stage II hypertension occurs when the pressure is at least 140 systolic or 90 diastolic. Different goals exist for specific patients. For example, people with diabetes should aim for less than 130/85 mm Hg. Those with certain kidney diseases may need to stay below 125/75 mm Hg.

Hypertension affects at least 26.4% of the global population. It is a major driver of heart failure cases. In fact, hypertension precedes heart failure in 90% of all cases. It increases the risk of heart failure by two or three times. In 2004, the disease was responsible for approximately 1.0 million deaths worldwide. This accounted for about 1.7% of all global deaths. In 2013, the number of deaths rose to 1.07 million. This was a significant increase from the 630,000 deaths recorded in 1990.

There are notable differences in how this disease affects various groups. Women often have higher rates of hypertension than men. While men develop it earlier, hypertension in women is often less well controlled. This makes it a major factor in heart attacks for women. Ethnic differences are also very important. In the United States, African Americans face a higher burden of hypertensive heart disease. They experience higher rates of heart failure and higher mortality rates. This condition often develops at an earlier age in these populations.

Prevention and management are essential to reducing the risks of this disease. Lifestyle modifications can help lower the risk of cardiovascular death. These include regular aerobic exercise and weight loss. People are also advised to moderate alcohol intake and stop smoking. Some medications may be necessary to manage blood pressure or arrhythmias. Patients should be careful with certain over-the-counter medicines. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make the condition worse. Decongestants containing sympathomimetics can also increase blood pressure and worsen heart failure.