Cardiologist warned Russians about the dangers of self-medication for hypertension

Hypertension is not an age-related norm, and uncontrolled pill taking can be dangerous to health. On May 9, Evgeny Kokin, a cardiologist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg clinic), Candidate of Medical Sciences, warned about this in an interview with Izvestia.

According to the expert, arterial hypertension remains one of the most common chronic diseases in middle-aged and elderly people. However, it is a dangerous misconception to perceive high blood pressure as a natural consequence of aging.

"The development of hypertension is influenced by stress, sedentary lifestyle, high-calorie diet, overweight and smoking. In men, the disease often develops earlier due to the hormonal background. But in any case, we are not talking about an age—related feature, but about a disease that requires control and treatment," Kokin said.

The cardiologist emphasized that without therapy, hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, angina pectoris, kidney failure and other severe cardiovascular complications.

One of the most common myths, the doctor called the idea that drugs can only be taken during pressure surges.

"Hypertension cannot be treated with courses. In most cases, this is a chronic condition that requires ongoing therapy. If you take medications only when you feel worse, your blood pressure begins to fluctuate dramatically, which puts additional strain on your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys," the specialist explained.

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Doctors told us what causes people to have hypertension and what to do if they are caught off guard by an attack.

According to him, modern drugs make it possible to maintain stable blood pressure throughout the day and at the same time have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system.

Separately, Kokin warned patients against self-medication. He recalled that antihypertensive drugs are divided into several groups and act in different ways: some affect the heart rate, others dilate blood vessels, and others have a diuretic effect.

"The treatment regimen is selected individually, taking into account age, concomitant diseases and contraindications. Self—selection of drugs can be not only ineffective, but also dangerous," the doctor noted.

At the same time, drug therapy, according to him, must necessarily be combined with lifestyle changes. Key measures to prevent and control the disease include weight loss, physical activity, smoking cessation, salt and alcohol restriction, adequate sleep, and stress reduction.

Another dangerous myth is related to the so-called working pressure. Many patients consider the values of 150-160/90 mmHg to be normal if they do not experience significant discomfort. However, modern international recommendations, as the cardiologist recalled, determine the target blood pressure level below 140/90 mmHg for most patients.

"The absence of symptoms does not mean safety. Even if a person subjectively feels normal, consistently high blood pressure continues to damage blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke," Kokin emphasized.

The specialist added that the main goal of hypertension treatment is not a one—time reduction in blood pressure during a crisis, but its constant maintenance at a safe level.

Valeria Bonadykova, a cardiologist at the Scandinavian Health Center, spoke on March 31 about the causes of high blood pressure, which are often not taken seriously. According to her, lack of sleep and ragged sleep increase the activity of the nervous system. She also shared that blood pressure can increase due to a number of medications.