High blood pressure occurs when blood is pushed too hard through the walls of blood vessels, according to the American Heart Association. Over time, this condition damages blood vessels and increases the risk of a number of health problems, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, and erectile dysfunction, according to the health website Healthline (USA).
People over 50 years old need to check their blood pressure regularly because they are at high risk of this disease.
When talking about blood pressure, we will consider two numbers: systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure on the blood vessels when the heart beats, and diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure when the heart relaxes.
The National Institute on Aging says that in adults, normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg. In other words, systolic blood pressure is no more than 120 and diastolic blood pressure is no more than 80. High blood pressure occurs when blood pressure readings exceed 130/80 mmHg.
For people over 50, they need to check their blood pressure regularly because this is the age group that is susceptible to high blood pressure. Early detection of the disease will help control blood pressure well and prevent the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems in the future.
Another reason high blood pressure becomes more common in people over 50 is because our blood vessel system begins to change, according to research published in the journal Frontiers in Genetics .
Specifically, as we age, the elastic fibers made of elastin protein in the blood vessel walls become less active. At that time, the function of blood vessel dilation will be transferred to the harder collagen fibers. As a result, the ability of blood vessels to dilate will decrease and cause blood pressure to increase.
We also tend to gain weight as we age. Our metabolism slows down and our levels of many hormones decrease. Body composition changes as muscle mass decreases and fat mass increases. These changes make it easier for us to gain weight. Being overweight or obese can lead to high blood pressure or increase your risk of developing it.
Fortunately, high blood pressure can be controlled with lifestyle changes and medication. In many cases, doctors will recommend that people control their blood pressure with diet and exercise without medication. If that doesn’t work, doctors will start prescribing medication, according to Healthline.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-nguoi-tren-50-tuoi-can-kiem-tra-huyet-ap-thuong-xuyen-18524053100523642.htm
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