What are the criteria for high blood pressure? What are the consequences of prolonged high blood pressure?

Hypertension is a chronic disease, and its harm to the body gradually accumulates. So, what are the criteria for high blood pressure? What are the consequences of prolonged high blood pressure?

1. What are the criteria for high blood pressure?

Without the use of antihypertensive drugs, hypertension can be diagnosed if the systolic blood pressure is greater than 140mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure is greater than 90mmHg three times that day.

2. What are the consequences of long-term high blood pressure?

1. Heart failure

Hypertension, which is blood pressure that is consistently higher than normal, puts an excessive burden on the heart.

To cope with this stress, the heart has to thicken its muscles. Over time, the heart muscle gradually loses its elasticity and becomes stiff, unable to expand and contract effectively. In this condition, the heart works less efficiently, eventually leading to heart failure.

2. Cerebral hemorrhage

High blood pressure can damage the health of blood vessels in the brain and increase the risk of brain hemorrhage or ischemia, often called a stroke.

Chronic high blood pressure increases pressure on the lining of blood vessels, leading to hardening and damage to the arteries. Hardened artery walls become more fragile and prone to rupture, especially capillaries. Controlling blood pressure is to protect cerebrovascular health.

3. Kidney disease

Long-term hypertension can easily lead to sclerosis of human renal arterioles. When the body’s kidney function declines, symptoms such as frequent urination will occur, and the urine will also contain red blood cells, proteins, etc.

In addition, the concentration function of urine is also affected and decreases, and the excretion of phenol red will also be hindered, which can easily cause kidney diseases such as uremia and azotemia.

Without the use of antihypertensive drugs, hypertension can be diagnosed if the systolic blood pressure is greater than 140mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure is greater than 90mmHg three times that day. Prolonged high blood pressure can cause serious consequences such as heart failure, cerebral hemorrhage, and kidney disease.