Monica
Joined: 10 Mar 2004
Posts: 4933
Location: Egypt
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| Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 9:03 am Post subject: The Silent K I L L E R ..... |
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The Silent Killer
If you’re caught in the rat race, beware … hypertension could be just a heartbeat away
By —Rasha Mady
They call it the “silent killer” hypertension, the number-one stress-related malady of the modern age. When your blood pressure starts spiraling out of control as you approach that very important deadline, step back and think, is it worth risking heart disease and kidney failure?
Hypertension is a condition associated with the narrowing of the arteries. It causes blood to be pumped with excessive force against the artery walls. Although it is sometimes hereditary, other factors may contribute to the incidence of hypertension such as obesity, type of body fat distribution, immoderate salt intake, deficiency in minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium, drinking large quantities of alcohol, psychological stress, noise and lead pollution.
“The high prevalence of hypertension in Egypt, coupled with disturbingly low awareness, treatment and control has significant implications because hypertension, often leading to sudden death ... often strikes without prior warning,” says Dr. Mohammed Mohsen Ibrahim, chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at Cairo University and president of the Egyptian Hypertension League. “People wrongly believe that dizziness, frequent headaches, faintness, redness of eyes and a sudden rise in body temperature are symptoms of high blood pressure, but they aren’t,” he clarifies. He stresses the fact that the only way to check high blood pressure (HBP) is through accurate measurement.
“Accurate is the key word here,” he reiterates, pointing out that a recent survey revealed that more than 90 percent of readings aren’t accurate even though the treatment depends on these figures. He discourages the use of medication unless there is an absolute need for it, since in some cases treatment is achieved through lifestyle modifications like giving up smoking, losing weight and excercising regularly.
But once you’re on medication, it’s for life. He stresses that there is no cure for hypertension, only a lifelong process of keeping BP levels normal, something which is not done by drinking karkaday (hibiscus) — a widespread misconception.Although advanced drugs have made life far more tolerable for hypertensives, over 75 percent of treated patients continue to have inadequate blood pressure control. This is partly because by the time treatment begins, the damage to the arteries is already done.
But what is the ideal diet?
According to Dr. Omnia Nayel from Alexandria University’s faculty of medicine, the optimum diet should include fresh vegetables and fruit, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and moderate amounts of meat cooked in sunflower or olive oil instead of saturated fats found in butter.
Sedentary lifestyles plus bad eating habits are a formula for disaster. But if you don’t have a weight problem, the issue is all about stress.
Dr. John Laragh, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Hypertension, says that we can outwit stress by using it to our advantage. “Stress isn’t necessarily detrimental but it depends on how you take it,” he writes. “The stress of exhilarating creative successful work is beneficial, unlike that of failure and humiliation. Harnessing the vast innate potential residing in us depends on coping with reality not resisting it.” et
You see it happen to other people but you never think it will hit you. Too much fast food, cigarettes, no time to exercise, worrying sick about sales figures. Now I’m on a diet, on medication. All this could have been avoided with a little moderation.— Adel, 41, sales executive
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