Treatment methods for essential hypertension

The occurrence of primary hypertension may be related to genetic factors and bad eating habits, especially for overweight and obese people, who are prone to hypertension. You must pay attention to controlling blood pressure, avoid drinking and smoking, and change bad living habits.

1. Genetic factors

Essential hypertension is a polygenic hereditary disease. Epidemiological surveys have found that the prevalence of hypertension in the twin children of patients with hypertension is significantly increased, especially in monozygotic twins; if both parents have hypertension, the probability of their children suffering from hypertension is as high as 45%. On the contrary, if both parents have normal blood pressure, the probability of their children suffering from hypertension is only 3%.

2. High sodium, low potassium diet

Among the population, sodium salt (sodium chloride) intake is positively correlated with blood pressure levels and the prevalence of hypertension, while potassium salt intake is negatively correlated with blood pressure levels. The dietary sodium/potassium ratio had an even stronger association with blood pressure. A study of 14 groups of people in my country showed that for every 2 grams increase in dietary sodium intake per day, systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased by 2.0 mmHg and 1.2 mmHg, respectively. A high-sodium, low-potassium diet is one of the main risk factors for the onset of hypertension in most patients in my country. In most parts of my country, the average daily salt intake per person is more than 12 to 15 grams. In the International Collaborative Study on Salt and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP), the 24-hour urinary sodium/potassium ratio, which reflects the dietary sodium/potassium amount, is above 6 in the Chinese population, while it is only 2-3 in the Western population.

3. Overweight and obesity

Body fat content is positively correlated with blood pressure levels. The body mass index (BMI) is positively correlated with blood pressure levels in the population. For every 3 kg/m increase in BMI, the risk of developing hypertension within 4 years increases by 50% in men and 57% in women. A summary analysis of follow-up data from 240,000 adults in my country showed that the risk of developing hypertension in those with a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 was 3 to 4 times that of those with normal weight. The distribution of body fat is also related to the occurrence of hypertension. The more fat you accumulate in your abdomen, the higher your blood pressure levels. For men with a waist circumference ≥ 90 cm or women with a waist circumference ≥ 85 cm, the risk of developing hypertension is more than 4 times that of those with normal waist circumference.

4. Drinking

Excessive drinking is also a risk factor for the development of hypertension, and the prevalence of hypertension in the population increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Although blood pressure will drop in a short period of time after drinking a small amount of alcohol, long-term drinking of small amounts of alcohol can cause a slight increase in blood pressure; excessive drinking can cause a significant increase in blood pressure. If you drink an average of >3 standard drinks a day (1 standard drink is equivalent to 12 grams of alcohol, about 360 grams of beer, or 100 grams of wine, or 30 grams of liquor), your systolic and diastolic blood pressure will increase by an average of 3.5 mmHg and 2.1 mmHg respectively, and the increase in blood pressure will increase with the amount of alcohol you drink.