A doctor spoke about the dangers of hypertension

Arterial hypertension is a rather dangerous condition: it can lead to heart attack or stroke, provoke pulmonary edema and heart failure. On February 9, Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, an expert physician at the Gemotest laboratory, told Izvestia about whether physical activity helps normalize blood pressure.

"At the same time, arterial hypertension is a very common pathology. According to statistics, it is found in almost half of adults. With age, the risk of becoming hypertensive increases - up to 60% of the elderly over 60 years of age face this problem. If there is a hypertensive crisis (a sharp increase in blood pressure with the appearance of unusual symptoms from the nervous system, eyes, heart), you need to call an ambulance without delay, because such a condition is dangerous not only for health, but also for human life," - explained Demyanovskaya.

According to her, hypertension is important to control - to measure the pressure with a tonometer in the morning and evening and record the results in a special diary, take all the medicines prescribed by the doctor, follow a diet, stop smoking and drinking alcohol, watch your weight, maintain physical activity.

Optimal physical activity improves the cardiovascular system and has a positive effect on the treatment of arterial hypertension. In some categories of patients, such as people of any age with grade 1 arterial hypertension without additional serious cardiovascular risks, treatment begins with lifestyle changes.

"It is proven that in such cases, moderate physical activity in combination with other lifestyle modification measures helps normalize blood pressure, and hypotensive drugs are prescribed only if there is no effect within three months. Optimal options for training for hypertensives - aerobic, also recommended static and dynamic breathing exercises: walking, swimming, skiing, exercise on an exercise bike or cycling, standard breathing exercises, "- said the doctor.

The recommended regimen in the absence of restrictions - at least five to seven times a week for 30 minutes. If for some reason this is not possible, it is recommended to stay physically active according to one's capabilities and clinical condition. Before you start training, you should consult with a cardiologist, rehabilitologist or sports medicine doctor - they will help you choose the optimal physical training regimen, and if necessary, conduct entry stress tests.

"During training, it is important to monitor the pulse - the number of heartbeats should increase by no more than 20-30 per minute. It is also important to remember that physical activity will have to be abandoned during the recovery period after a recent myocardial infarction, people with decompensated heart failure and heart rhythm disorders. Contrary to popular belief, arterial hypertension of the third degree is not a contraindication to physical activity - on the contrary, training is recommended, but at a lower intensity, the duration of each workout of at least 30 minutes and frequency of three to five times a week", - summarized Demyanovskaya.

In May last year, Evgeny Shlyakhto, chief supernumerary cardiologist of the Ministry of Health of Russia, said that hypertension is more common in men, but their awareness of the disease and the effectiveness of its treatment are lower than in women. Among the non-obvious factors in the development of the disease, he named talking on a cell phone. People who talk on their cell phones for 30 or more minutes a week were 12% more likely to develop hypertension than those who spent less time on calls, Shlyakhto noted.