Today is National Hypertension Day. In order to help raise awareness about this possibly dangerous condition, Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) Neurologist Dr. Brian Lu talks us through what hypertension is and what you can do when you are concerned. What is hypertension?When your blood pumps through your body, it puts pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is when the pressure exerted on your blood vessels is very high. It's measured by comparing the pressure on your blood vessels (when your heart is beating, called systolic pressure) with the pressure on your blood vessels between heartbeats (called diastolic pressure). Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure measures 140/90 mmHg or higher at any three different times of the day when measured in a resting state (i.e., under no stress or not exercising).
Who is more likely to have hypertension?"High blood pressure is often associated with many conditions and unfavorable lifestyle habits, such as high salt intake, insomnia, sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, obesity, insufficient exercise, and too much stress," says Dr. Lu suggests that "before starting drug treatment, patients should make lifestyle changes and do more aerobic exercise. If blood pressure remains high, medication can be used." Is hypertension a problem in China?"In China, the absolute and relative counts of hypertension patients are considerably high," says Dr. Lu, "In adults older than 18 years old, the prevalence rate is 25.2% – that is a total of 270 million people in China." This is a health concern because untreated hypertension can lead to stroke and heart disease. So deadly is hypertension that it has now become one of the leading causes of death in China. Dr. Lu adds, "overall, 71% of deaths from stroke can be attributed to hypertension."
How do you know if you have hypertension?Often, when you go for a clinical appointment at BJU, your nurse will check your vital signs, including your heart rate and blood pressure. The results will show if you have higher than normal blood pressure or an unusual heart rate. If you are worried that you might have hypertension, you can make an appointment to get your blood pressure checked and talk to your doctor.
What can I do if I have hypertension? As Dr. Lu mentioned before, the first course of action is to try and modify any lifestyle-related factors that could be contributing to your hypertension. If that doesn't work, there are medications you can take. However, Dr. Lu warns that medicines aren't a perfect solution. He adds, "if you are suffering from hypertension or are suspected of having high blood pressure, especially if you had a stroke previously, you should consult an experienced specialist."
Dr. Lu has 20 years of clinical experience. In addition to specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of motor neuron disease (MND), he has also completed a fellowship in Neurology at the third clinical medical school of Peking University. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Lu has published more than 40 papers in prominent medical journals, including the Chinese Journal of Neurology. Dr. Lu speaks English and Mandarin. If you are concerned about hypertension or your risk of stroke, you can make an appointment with Dr. Brian Lu by calling the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.