Submitted by OSF HealthCare
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, has become an ever-increasing problem in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in three U.S. adults — or about 70 million people — has high blood pressure, and only half of those people have it under control.
What is high blood pressure? The simple definition of high blood pressure is that the pressure your blood exerts on your artery walls is higher than it should be. According to Dr. Robert Sparrow, vice president and chief medical officer for OSF Saint Francis Hypertension Center, high blood pressure, left unmanaged, can lead to serious health risks.
“Hypertension increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and renal failure,” Sparrow said. “However, it is common to continue a high quality of life with controlled hypertension.”
An increasing problem in the fight against high blood pressure is resistant hypertension (RH). An individual is diagnosed with RH if they are taking a diuretic (water pill) and at least two other blood pressure medicines and their blood pressure remains uncontrolled.
There are several possible medical conditions and lifestyle factors that can cause RH. Typically, a sufferer will have several factors affecting their blood pressure, and a physician must carefully analyze the patient holistically in order to determine treatment options.
“Although a potentially life-threatening condition, resistant hypertension can be treated,” Sparrow said. “A thorough evaluation, appropriate lifestyle modifications, and treatment can markedly improve outcomes and quality of life.”
However, medical conditions like renal artery stenosis, plaque clogging the blood vessels of the kidney, and sleep apnea coupled with lifestyle choices like heavy drinking, poor diet, and smoking, can prevent normal blood pressure medications from being effective.
Renal artery stenosis can be challenging because the kidneys misinterpret the lack of blood flow as low blood pressure and releases hormones to increase blood pressure. In a sense, your body is unknowingly fighting against itself, leading to RH. The elevated blood pressure can then damage other organs, as well as the kidneys.
Treatment often begins with understanding how your body’s blood pressure cycles work. You may be required to check your blood pressure several times a day and record when changes occurred and what medications or food you ingested. This will help your physician adjust or change your medications as required.
Investigating your blood pressure cycles can also help identify secondary causes like poor nutritional choices, lifestyle choices, or unidentified stress. In addition, it can help you track over-the-counter medication usage like ephedra, painkillers, diet pills, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents that can raise your blood pressure.
Once the causes for your RH are identified, your physician will start to develop a plan for managing your blood pressure. The plan will probably include increasing your diuretic, helping the kidneys get rid of extra salt and water in your body, and using various combinations of medications depending on your situation, age, gender, and race. The challenge for individuals with RH is finding the right combination for their particular situation.
“Know what your blood pressure is, continue a healthy lifestyle, and take your blood pressure medications religiously, and resistant hypertension can be controlled most of the time,” Sparrow said. “You should also employ lifestyle changes including weight loss, decrease salt intake, moderate alcohol intake, stop smoking, and see your health care provider regularly for follow-ups.”
If your hypertension is not managed with a healthy diet and medication, the OSF Saint Francis Hypertension Center is here for you. With six specialized physicians, we can work with your doctor to help care for high blood pressure and resistant hypertension. To request an appointment with one of our hypertension specialists, call us at 309-676-8123.
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