Hypertension has always been regarded by people as an "elderly disease". But in recent years, we have found that many young and middle-aged people around us also suffer from hypertension. Why does the "elderly disease" attack the youth? Hypertension is targeting the young and middle-aged people.
Generally speaking, older people are prone to hypertension because their body organs all show degenerative changes, especially the cardiovascular system which gradually ages. But in recent years, there has been a tendency for younger people to develop hypertension, which is also a fact. Hospital statistics show that among daily outpatient patients, 40-50-year-old patients account for about 30%-40%, and those under 35 with hypertension account for approximately 15% of patients. Therefore, it can be seen that the incidence of hypertension indeed shows a trend towards younger age groups.
The main inducements for young and middle-aged people developing hypertension are as follows:
1. The influence of the overall social environment. Modern people have more public relations and social engagements, smoking and drinking, eating and drinking excessively, leading to nutritional imbalance and irregular rest schedules.
2. Genetic factors. A large amount of clinical data shows that hypertension is related to genetic factors. If one parent suffers from hypertension, the children's incidence rate of hypertension is 28%; if both parents have hypertension, the children's incidence rate of hypertension can be as high as over 40%.
3. Unhealthy lifestyle. Young and middle-aged people like to eat high-salt, high-fat, and high-cholesterol foods; they would rather drive or take a car than walk; at work, they sit in offices, and at home, they sit on sofas, with minimal exercise.
4. Psychological factors. Work tension and great pressure are important reasons for young white-collar workers to develop hypertension. It is known that an important cause of hypertension is psychogenic, that is, when overly tense, the central nervous system releases some neurotransmitters and hormones that increase blood pressure. For this reason, white-collar workers who are striving for their careers bear immense living and working pressures, often troubled by insomnia, and are prone to psychogenic hypertension.
Half of the young and middle-aged people with hypertension have no symptoms. Among young and middle-aged hypertensive patients, 50% are asymptomatic. Even if some symptoms appear early, they are only occasional dizziness and headaches, and many people actually do not know that they are already sick. Because of the absence of symptoms or mild symptoms, coupled with being busy with work and taking care of the family all day, they neglect their health. "Therefore, the sudden death rate of young and middle-aged people due to hypertension is often higher than that of the elderly." Most elderly people stay at home, having ample time to arrange regular diets and rest schedules. They also pay attention to nurturing their mind and body, using medication properly, and the social security system for the elderly is relatively comprehensive. Moreover, the media's extensive publicity regarding these elderly diseases enables many elderly patients to achieve timely examination, treatment, regular medication, and long-term health maintenance.
However, young and middle-aged people with hypertension, due to lack of awareness and importance, often seek medical help only when the condition worsens. At that point, renal insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency failure, even stroke, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction may have occurred, leading to disability or death. Therefore, young people need to be more vigilant against hypertension, this 'invisible killer', compared to the elderly.
For young and middle-aged people, those with a family history of hypertension should best have a physical examination once a year; those with high lipid levels should regularly check their blood pressure; they should actively and seriously participate in the physical examinations organized by their units, not relying on feelings to see a doctor; for those who indeed have hypertension, regular blood pressure checks are very important. The key is to combine relevant tests and scientific judgment from doctors to assess whether one's hypertension belongs to high-risk or medium-risk, then combine lifestyle interventions to start treatment as soon as possible. For young and middle-aged hypertension, adjusting dietary structure and achieving stable blood pressure reduction through hypertension dietary therapy is the most ideal.
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