Dr Swapnil Mate Cardiologist

Types Of Hypertension

There are two types of hypertension, which are:-

Primary or essential hypertension is caused due to a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to high blood pressure. Primary hypertension does not have any scientific cause for its occurrence. Risk factors that contribute to essential hypertension are consumption of a high cholesterol diet, obesity, excess consumption of salt, alcohol, high levels of aldosterone hormone that is responsible for keeping the blood pressure under control. The renin-angiotensin system balance the electrolytes of the system(sodium and potassium). It checks the levels of the electrolytes and signals the organs like the colon and kidney to put more sodium or potassium into the bloodstream.

Secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying detectable cause. Some of the diseases that exist due to secondary hypertension are kidney disease, endocrine disorders, tumors, etc,

Diseases Caused Due To Hypertension

The diseases caused due to hypertension :

3-D echocardiography is done for those who :

Hypertensive Retinopathy - this is referred to damage to the retina of the eye and retinal circulation due to high blood pressure. The symptoms include blurred vision and headaches.
Cushing's Syndrome - This is a collection of symptoms due to long-term exposure to the steroid hormone, cortisol or the presence of a tumor that triggers excess production of the hormone by adrenal glands. Symptoms include abdominal obesity but arms and legs are thin, stretch marks, formation of a lump between shoulders, irregular menstruation in women, fragile skin, acne, weak muscle, and bones.
Hyperthyroidism - is a condition that is caused due to excess production of the thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Symptoms include rapid heartbeat, goiter, diarrhea, weight loss, high blood pressure, experiencing confusion(if the condition worsens), etc.
Coarctation of the aorta - referred to as the condition where the aorta, which is responsible for transporting blood to all organs of the body, experiences narrowing. It can take place due to obstruction in blood flow by factors like high blood sugar, high blood pressure.
Renovascular Hypertension - is a medical condition in which high blood pressure is caused due to the response of the kidney to the narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to it. When there is obstruction of blood flow, the arteries experience narrowing. the kidneys respond to it by accidentally increasing the blood pressure of the entire circulatory system.
Chronic kidney disease - a disease in which gradual loss of the normal function of the kidneys, take place. Symptoms include swelling of legs, fatigue, vomiting, loss of appetite, etc.
Acromegaly - a disorder caused due to excess production of growth hormone(somatotropin) after the growth plates are closed. Symptoms include enlargement of legs and hands, headaches, slowing of speech, deepening of the voice, weakening of the heart muscularity, high blood pressure, etc.

Risk Factors

The risk factors contributing to high blood pressure include:-

Obesity - Obese individuals require more blood so that they can carry oxygen and nutrients to the tissues to function efficiently. This puts pressure on the heart to work harder, increasing blood pressure.
Diabetes - When your body does not respond to insulin or does not produce much insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream. This causes an increase in the blood sugar level. An increase in blood sugar damages the walls of coronary arteries due to fatty deposits in the walls. This reduces the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently.
Lack of physical exercise - Lack of physical activity increases blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
Stress - A person can react to stress in a way like smoking, alcohol consumption, Overeating, etc. This can increase blood pressure.
Smoking and alcohol consumption - actively smoking or consuming alcohol makes the blood sticky, and it is most likely to clot, which can obstruct the blood flow to the heart. It also lowers good cholesterol in the body. This makes the heart work harder, increasing blood pressure.
Genetics - genes control every part of the circulatory system. If the parent has high blood pressure, then the child is most likely to have it since the child shares the DNA of its mother.
Increasing age - since during the period of late adulthood, the body's genetic programming reduces, the heart's capacity to pump blood decreases, putting a lot of stress on the heart.
Too much sodium or less potassium in the diet causes the body to retain fluid and builds sodium in the blood, increasing blood pressure.

Diagnosis And Treatments

The diagnosis and treatments for hypertension include:

Electrocardiography - electrocardiography measures the electrical activity of the heart by placing electrodes on the skin. This detects the minute changes that take place as a result of the contraction and relaxation of the cardiac muscle. This helps to check the electrical activity of the heart.
Echocardiogram - In this procedure, a device called a transducer is placed on the top of the chest and ultrasonic waves are sent to the heart bounce off and show the live image of the heart, using a monitor. Intravascular ultrasound uses a catheter instead of a transducer to capture the images of coronary arteries. This helps the specialists to see whether the blood flow is obstructed or not.
Blood Tests - blood tests like Low-Density Lipoprotein and High-Density Lipoprotein test, C-Reactive Protein test, International Normalized Ratio(INR) test, Blood pressure test, etc, are done to check the amount of glucose, cholesterol, sodium, and calcium deposits in the bloodstream.
Genetic testing - this is done when the abnormal mental condition is inherited from the parent. This is done only on first degree relatives, like father, mother, siblings, etc,
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring - this technique measure blood pressure at regular intervals. This helps in detecting high blood pressure.
Diuretics - a diuretic pill helps in the increased production of urine. This helps eradicate excess sodium from the excretory system of the body. This also reduces potassium levels.
Angiotensin II receptor blocker - this medicine block sodium retention from the renin-angiotensin system.
Calcium channel blockers - these medicines obstruct the movement of calcium through the calcium channels. It also helps in decreasing blood pressure.
Beta-blockers - these medicines reduce stress on the heart and widen the coronary arteries, therefore, reducing blood pressure.
Alpha-blockers - they reduce the effects of chemical substances that reduce the narrowing of blood vessels. This also reduces hypertension.
Renin-inhibitors - these medicines stop the production of the enzyme renin, which is responsible for facilitating blood pressure

The faculty of Dr. Swapnil Mate's Cardiology clinic includes a team of preventive cardiologists. They engage in post-operational care of their patients by recommending them such health plans that help in reducing the risk factors that contribute to heart failures such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar levels. Consult Dr. Swapnil Mate for the best medical assistance.