High diastolic pressure: causes, signs, treatment

High diastolic pressure usually indicates pathology associated with peripheral vessels. Why can it increase in a person without an increase or with a slight increase in systolic, and what to do in such a situation? Let's try to figure it out.

Increased lower diastolic pressure may be a sign of kidney disease

Blood pressure – systolic and diastolic

Blood pressure (BP) is the force with which blood presses against the walls of the arteries. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and includes two indicators that are written across a line as a fraction. The upper, or systolic, pressure shows the force with which the blood acts on the walls of the blood vessels at the moment of systole, i.e., contraction of the heart muscle, and the lower, or diastolic, shows the force of the peripheral resistance of the vessels at the moment of relaxation of the heart, i.e., diastole.

Normally, in a healthy person, diastolic pressure is in the range of 60–90 mmHg. Art.

Diastolic pressure is often elevated in patients with kidney disease, which is why it is also called “renal pressure,” although in fact it can be caused by other factors, such as atherosclerosis.

The development of arterial hypertension is indicated in cases where three control measurements recorded blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg. Art. More often there is a simultaneous increase in both systolic and diastolic pressure, but sometimes there is an increase in only the lower indicator.

High blood pressure or hypertension

How to measure blood pressure correctly, why measure pressure on both hands

Blood pressure should be measured 1-2 hours after eating. For an hour before measurement, refrain from smoking, eating, coffee, and strong tea. Blood pressure should be measured in a sitting position, after a 5-minute rest, without straining the muscles of the arms and legs, without holding your breath during the procedure and without talking to others; The hand on which blood pressure is measured should be at the level of the heart. Blood pressure measurements should be taken on both arms and focus on the higher measurement.

What blood pressure numbers are normal and what can be considered high blood pressure

Normal blood pressure (BP) figures range from 90/60 to 139/89 mmHg; less than 90/60 is arterial hypotension
, i.e.
decreased blood pressure, and above 139/89 is arterial hypertension
- increased blood pressure. The first number means systolic blood pressure, which depends on the strength and speed of heart contraction; it is also called “upper”. The second number is diastolic blood pressure, depending on the tone and elasticity of blood vessels, another name is “lower”.

What to do if you have high blood pressure, how to lower your blood pressure

A sharp increase in blood pressure is called a hypertensive crisis

- this is not only a sharp increase in blood pressure to high numbers, but also an increase in all the main symptoms of the disease.

Causes of development of hypertensive crises

are mental trauma and unrest, negative emotions, weather changes (changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity).

Signs of a hypertensive crisis

Crises are often accompanied by a sharp headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, visual disturbances (fog before the eyes, flashing “spots”). Most often, hypertensive crises are observed when, after feeling better, the patient stops regularly taking antihypertensive drugs (drugs that lower blood pressure).

First of all, you need to calm down and lie down. You should open the window and provide fresh air. Strict bed rest must be observed. Sometimes it is easier in a sitting position.

If necessary, call an ambulance team.

Before the arrival of the medical team, so-called distraction procedures should be carried out: put mustard plaster on the occipital region and calf muscles or take hot foot baths to drain blood to the legs. If a hypertensive crisis is accompanied by pain in the heart area, then you can take validol or nitroglycerin under the tongue.

It is recommended to take additional doses of the medicine that the patient usually took. You can put tablets under your tongue to lower your blood pressure. As prescribed by the doctor, the patient may be given injections of blood pressure-lowering medications.

If during a hypertensive crisis the patient is in an excited state, i.e., a neurovegetative crisis

, then he is indicated for the administration of sedatives that relieve the excited state.

In any case, it is necessary to reduce blood pressure gradually, not to normal, but to a more comfortable state.

After the hypertensive crisis is relieved, they proceed to planned treatment with medications. If a hypertensive crisis develops against the background of regular antihypertensive therapy, then it is necessary to reconsider the drugs of choice for the treatment of a particular patient. Only a doctor can do this. Therefore, after the crisis is over, you should seek help from your doctor.

Why do you need to measure blood pressure during pregnancy, as evidenced by high blood pressure?

Hypertension is the most common complication of pregnancy and a cause of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality worldwide.

High blood pressure in early pregnancy is the most dangerous symptom. In this condition, the walls of the blood vessels become very narrow, and this interferes with the normal supply of oxygen and other nutrients from the blood to the developing fetus, which means the physiological growth of the embryo slows down. Excessively high blood pressure can also cause spontaneous miscarriage.

Hypertension can also provoke delays in fetal development, placental insufficiency, bleeding, chronic hypoxia (lack of oxygen), and premature placental abruption.

High blood pressure during pregnancy can be a symptom of a complication such as gestosis - a condition that occurs in the second half of pregnancy and is manifested by a triad of symptoms: increased blood pressure, edema and the appearance of protein in the urine.

Foods that increase blood pressure

1. alcoholic and carbonated drinks;
2. spicy, smoked, salty foods and ready meals, canned food;
3. caffeine-rich foods: cocoa, coffee, strong tea;
4. fish oil, fatty fish and meat, ice cream;
5. cakes and pastries, which include butter cream, baked goods;
6. products with a high content of starchy substances: semolina, potatoes, white flour products;
7. almost all offal: liver, brains, kidneys;
8. seasonings and spices: pepper (black and red), raw onion, horseradish, mustard, cloves.

Salt. Table salt is known to trigger mechanisms in the body that lead to spasm of blood vessels. In addition, it is salt that makes a person feel thirsty, “forcing” him to drink more fluid, which leads to an increase in blood volume and an increase in blood pressure.

Products that lower blood pressure

1. Foods containing calcium are an active ingredient for lowering blood pressure, and dairy products are the best suppliers of it, as they contain vitamin D, which improves the absorption of calcium, cheese and yogurt, including; as well as green vegetables, broccoli, tofu and almonds.
2. Foods containing potassium: oranges, bananas, dried apricots, tomatoes, baked potatoes, zucchini, tuna. Particular attention should be paid to mineral-rich oranges, pomegranates and kiwis.
3. Products containing magnesium: green leafy vegetables, beans, cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat), bran bread, almonds, walnuts, poppy seeds and beans, black currants, beets, carrots. It is advisable to double their norm, since they prevent vascular spasms, dilate blood vessels, and have a diuretic effect.
4. Products with substances that promote vasodilation and blood thinning. For example, garlic, rich in vitamins and minerals. It is enough to eat a clove of garlic a day.
5. Teas, especially green and hibiscus, lower blood pressure.
6. Diuretics (watermelons, melons).
7. Sour foods, chokeberries, cranberries, grapefruits, lemons, quinces, as well as celery, viburnum with sugar.

Tags:

obesity, hypertension, fat metabolism, RAAS, hypertension, hyperaldosteronism, adrenal insufficiency

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What does high blood pressure mean?

The cause of high diastolic pressure is usually diseases of the internal organs (kidneys, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, heart). It often happens that high lower pressure becomes one of the first symptoms of these pathologies. Therefore, if it is elevated, you should definitely undergo a medical examination.

Diastolic pressure is often elevated in patients with kidney disease, which is why it is also called “renal pressure,” although in fact it can be caused by other factors, such as atherosclerosis.

Other causes of increased diastolic pressure may include:

• psycho-emotional disorders (depression, manic psychosis, stress);
• abuse of drinks containing caffeine (strong tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks);
• alcohol abuse.

Another reason for high lower pressure is fluid retention in the body caused by overeating, eating large amounts of salty foods, and smoking.

In pregnant women, increased lower blood pressure is often one of the first symptoms of a dangerous complication of pregnancy - OPG-preeclampsia.

Why is high diastolic pressure dangerous?

Increased diastolic pressure with normal systolic pressure indicates the presence of some pathology of the vascular system, leading to difficulty in normal blood flow through the vessels.

Normally, in a healthy person, diastolic pressure is in the range of 60–90 mmHg. Art.

If you do not take measures aimed at normalizing blood pressure, then the internal organs and brain do not receive enough nutrients and oxygen. This leads to the development of ischemia and tissue hypoxia, increasing the risk of myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke. An increase in diastolic pressure in older people is especially dangerous, since their blood vessels are significantly altered (atherosclerotic plaques, decreased elasticity of the walls) and the risk of complications of arterial hypertension is higher.

Why does blood pressure decrease?

Not only increased diastolic pressure is a dangerous symptom. A decrease in this value may also indicate problems with the body. Among the main reasons for the indicator to fall below normal:

• diabetes mellitus and other endocrine pathologies;
• diseases of the heart and blood vessels (coronary heart disease, bradycardia, myocarditis, aortic valve disease, history of heart attack);
• kidney diseases;
• oncology;
• dehydration;
• anemia;
• tuberculosis;
• pulmonary embolism.

Blood loss as a result of extensive trauma is always accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure

People experience a sharp decrease in lower blood pressure when working excessively in the gym. The heart and blood vessels work at an accelerated pace under load, and when the race for a beautiful figure ends, a person, even a hypertensive person, can feel the characteristic symptoms of hypotension: weakness, dizziness, headache in the temporal region.

Natural factors often lead to low blood pressure. People, especially older people, are sensitive to the coming cold snap, rain and magnetic storm. Low blood pressure is accompanied by headaches, weakness, increased fatigue, and irritability.

Interesting! Women, who experience low blood pressure more often than men, can note one pattern. On the first day of menstruation, blood pressure drops by an average of 10 mmHg. Art. The next day, my health returns to normal.

Diagnostics

Increased diastolic pressure is not an independent disease, but develops as a symptom of one or another pathology of the internal organs or endocrine system. Therefore, if an increased lower blood pressure is repeatedly noted, the patient must undergo a detailed medical examination, including:

• consultations with a therapist, cardiologist, nephrologist and endocrinologist;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and thyroid gland;
• ECG;
• Echo-CG;
• Dopplerography of cerebral vessels;
• clinical (general) blood and urine analysis;
• determination of the level of thyroid hormones in the blood;
• excretory urography;
• Rehberg's test.

Depending on the results obtained, additional studies of certain organs and systems may be prescribed.

To determine high blood pressure, it is necessary not to measure it once, but to measure it three times

Treatment of high diastolic pressure

How to reduce diastolic pressure with normal systolic pressure, since conventional antihypertensive drugs lower both lower and upper pressure? You don’t need to do this yourself; you need to see a doctor. The main treatment will be to eliminate the primary pathology that led to an increase in lower pressure.

In pregnant women, increased lower blood pressure is often one of the first symptoms of a dangerous complication of pregnancy - OPG-preeclampsia.

To normalize blood pressure, the following groups of drugs can be used:

1. Diuretics (diuretics) – stimulate diuresis, remove excess fluid from the body and eliminate swelling.
2. Beta blockers - block receptors sensitive to adrenaline, resulting in relaxation of blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. The heart rate also decreases. These drugs are contraindicated in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
3. Calcium channel blockers (calcium antagonists). They prevent the flow of calcium ions from the intercellular substance into the muscle cells of blood vessels and the heart. A decrease in Ca2+ concentration in the smooth muscle of blood vessels promotes their dilation and a decrease in blood pressure.
4. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). They reduce the concentration of angiotensin in the blood, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure.
5. Sympatholytics. Normalizes the tone of blood vessels.
6. Antispasmodics. Relaxes muscle cells, including those forming the walls of arteries.

Medications for high diastolic blood pressure should be taken in strict accordance with the doctor's prescription. It is unacceptable to independently change the dose of prescribed medications and the schedule for taking them.

Arterial hypertension (hypertension) - symptoms and treatment

With regard to non-drug measures aimed at treating hypertension, the most convincing evidence has accumulated on the positive role of reducing salt intake, reducing and maintaining body weight at this level, regular physical training (exercise), no more than moderate alcohol consumption, as well as increasing the content of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Only all these measures are effective as part of long-term changes in the unhealthy lifestyle that led to the development of hypertension. For example, a decrease in body weight by 5 kg led to a decrease in blood pressure by an average of 4.4/3.6 mm Hg. Art. [9] - it seems like a little, but in combination with the other measures listed above to improve your lifestyle, the effect can be quite significant.

Improving lifestyle is justified for almost all patients with hypertension, but drug treatment is indicated, although not always, in most cases. If patients with increased blood pressure of 2 and 3 degrees, as well as with hypertension of any degree with a high calculated cardiovascular risk, drug treatment is mandatory (its long-term benefit has been demonstrated in many clinical studies), then with hypertension of 1 degree with a low and average calculated cardiovascular risk, the benefit of such treatment has not been convincingly proven in large clinical trials. In such situations, the possible benefit of drug therapy is assessed individually, taking into account the patient's preferences. If, despite improving lifestyle, the increase in blood pressure in such patients persists for a number of months during repeated visits to the doctor, it is necessary to re-evaluate the need for medication use. Moreover, the magnitude of the calculated risk often depends on the completeness of the patient’s examination and may turn out to be significantly higher than initially thought. In almost all cases of treatment of hypertension, they strive to achieve stabilization of blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg. Art. This does not mean that in 100% of measurements it will be below these values, but the less often the blood pressure, when measured under standard conditions (described in the “Diagnostics” section), exceeds this threshold, the better. Thanks to this treatment, the risk of cardiovascular complications is significantly reduced, and hypertensive crises, if they occur, are much less common than without treatment. Thanks to modern medications, those negative processes that, in hypertension, inevitably and latently destroy internal organs over time (primarily the heart, brain and kidneys), these processes are slowed down or suspended, and in some cases they can even be reversed.

Of the medications for the treatment of hypertension, the main ones are 5 classes of drugs [9]:

• diuretics (diuretics);
• calcium antagonists;
• angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (names ending in -adj);
• angiotensin II receptor antagonists (names ending in -sartan);
• beta blockers.

Recently, the role of the first four classes of drugs in the treatment of hypertension has been especially emphasized. Beta blockers are also used, but mainly when their use is required by concomitant diseases - in these cases, beta blockers serve a dual purpose.

Nowadays, preference is given to combinations of drugs, since treatment with any one of them rarely leads to achieving the desired level of blood pressure. There are also fixed combinations of drugs that make treatment more convenient, since the patient takes only one tablet instead of two or even three. The selection of the necessary classes of medications for a particular patient, as well as their doses and frequency of administration, is carried out by the doctor, taking into account such data about the patient as blood pressure level, concomitant diseases, etc.

Thanks to the multifaceted positive effects of modern drugs, treatment of hypertension involves not only lowering blood pressure as such, but also protecting internal organs from the negative effects of those processes that accompany high blood pressure. In addition, since the main goal of treatment is to minimize the risk of its complications and increase life expectancy, it may be necessary to correct blood cholesterol levels, take medications that reduce the risk of blood clots (which leads to myocardial infarction or stroke), etc. Refusal Smoking, no matter how trivial it may sound, allows you to significantly reduce the risks of stroke and myocardial infarction associated with hypertension, and slow down the growth of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. Thus, treating hypertension involves addressing the disease in many ways, and achieving normal blood pressure is only one of them.

Lifestyle change

Speaking about how to treat high blood pressure, it should be said that in the complex treatment regimen for this pathology, considerable importance is given to lifestyle changes.

First of all, this concerns diet. You should eat food 4-5 times a day in small portions. Chocolate, coffee, table salt, marinades, fatty and spicy foods are excluded from the diet (or severely limited).

The development of arterial hypertension is indicated in cases where three control measurements recorded blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg. Art.

The daily menu should include fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, dried fruits, foods rich in potassium (nuts, cabbage, tomatoes, baked potatoes, dried apricots), magnesium (buckwheat, fish, dairy products, strawberries, bananas) and B vitamins (yeast , liver, meat, pears, apples, oranges). It is advisable to contact a nutritionist to develop a detailed menu that takes into account the energy needs of the body, the general condition of the patient, and the presence of concomitant pathologies.

Physical activity. To improve blood circulation, it is necessary to devote sufficient time to physical activity every day. The level of permissible loads is determined by the attending physician, based on the general condition of the patient. Preferably swimming, walking, cycling. General massage is very useful.

Massage is useful for high blood pressure, as it helps normalize vascular tone.

Rejection of bad habits. The patient is advised to completely quit smoking. Nicotine promotes spasm of blood vessels, and hence an increase in diastolic pressure. It is equally important to give up the abuse of alcoholic beverages (it is permissible to drink no more than 50 ml of cognac or 200 ml of red wine per day).

Normalization of sleep and rest patterns. Night sleep should last at least 8-9 hours. You should try to go to bed no later than 10 pm. It is important to adhere to a daily routine, alternating work and rest.

Spa treatment. It is based on the use of climatic and physical factors that normalize the state of the cardiovascular system and thereby stabilize blood pressure.

An increase in diastolic pressure in older people is especially dangerous, since their blood vessels are significantly altered.

What is hypertension?

Arterial hypertension - in short, a persistent increase in blood pressure (BP) above 140/90 mmHg.

Classification:

• Normal blood pressure: SBP 120-129 / DBP 80-84 mmHg.
• High normal blood pressure: SBP 130-139 / DBP 85-89 mmHg. Art.
• 1st degree of hypertension: SBP 140-159 / DBP 90-99 mmHg.
• 2nd degree hypertension: SBP 160-179 / DBP 100-109 mmHg.
• Stage 3 hypertension: SBP 180 and above / DBP 110 mmHg. and higher.
• Isolated systolic hypertension: SBP greater than or equal to 140 / DBP less than 90 mmHg.

The top number when measuring blood pressure is systolic pressure (SBP), which measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts and pushes blood into the arteries. The bottom number is diastolic pressure (DBP), which shows the pressure in the arteries at the moment the heart muscle relaxes. Diastolic pressure is the minimum pressure in the arteries.

Risk factors for developing hypertension

There are modifiable (we can influence) and non-modifiable (we cannot influence) risk factors for development.

Non-modifiable risk factors include:

Heredity - people who have relatives with hypertension are most predisposed to developing this pathology;

• family history of early cardiovascular disease (women <65 years, men <55 years).

Male gender - it has been established that the incidence of men is significantly higher than the incidence of women. But the fact is that lovely ladies are “protected” by female sex hormones, estrogens, which prevent the development of hypertension. But such protection, unfortunately, is short-lived. The menopause comes, the saving effect of estrogens ends, and women become equal in morbidity to men and often overtake them.

Modifiable risk factors include:

Increased body weight – people who are overweight have a higher risk of developing arterial hypertension;

• abdominal obesity (waist circumference >=102 cm for men or >=88 for women).

A sedentary lifestyle – in other words, physical inactivity, a sedentary lifestyle and low physical activity lead to obesity, which in turn contributes to the development of hypertension.

Alcohol consumption – Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to the progression of the disease. As for alcohol, it is better not to drink alcoholic beverages at all. There is already a sufficient amount of ethyl alcohol produced in the body.

The recommended salt intake is 5 g/day (level teaspoon). An analysis of the diet of a healthy person, who is allowed to consume not 5 g of salt per day, but 10 or more, shows that of these 10 g, the share of independent salting is no more than 2-3 g. The rest comes from raw products, which already contain contain sodium (about 2 g in terms of salt), and processed foods - fast foods, semi-finished products, ready-made foods such as bread (about 7 g of salt). At the same time, this salt may not be tasted, since it, having previously dissolved, is evenly distributed throughout the entire volume of the product. It’s sad but true that the modern person’s diet largely consists of ready-made products, the composition of which we are not able to influence. The solution is to try to cook yourself.

An unbalanced diet with an excess of atherogenic lipids, excess calories, leading to obesity and contributing to the progression of type II diabetes. Atherogenic, i.e., literally, “creating atherosclerosis” lipids are found in large quantities in all animal fats, meat, especially pork and lamb;

• total blood cholesterol level > 6.5 mmol/l, increased level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (> 4.0 mmol/l) and low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Smoking is another variable and dangerous factor in the development of arterial hypertension and its complications. The fact is that tobacco substances, including nicotine, create a constant spasm of the arteries, which, when consolidated, leads to stiffness of the arteries, which entails an increase in pressure in the vessels.

Stress leads to activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which acts as an instant activator of all body systems, including the cardiovascular system. In addition, pressor hormones, i.e., those that cause spasm of the arteries, are released into the blood. All this, as with smoking, leads to stiffness of the arteries and arterial hypertension develops.

Severe sleep disturbances such as sleep apnea syndrome, or snoring. Snoring is truly the scourge of almost all men and many women. The fact is that it causes an increase in pressure in the chest and abdominal cavity. All this is reflected in the blood vessels, leading to their spasm.

Causes and symptoms of increased blood pressure in kidney disease

Most often, renal hypertension develops due to a narrowing of the artery that supplies blood to the kidneys. At a young age, usually in women, the lumen of the renal arteries narrows due to thickening of their muscle walls (fibromuscular hyperplasia). In older patients, the narrowing develops due to hard atherosclerotic plaques that block the renal artery.

The narrowing of the renal artery leads to a decrease in blood pressure. In this case, the RAAS system is activated. The RAAS system increases blood pressure (a person becomes hypertensive) in order to increase the pressure in the renal artery. With a constantly acting factor, such as a decrease in pressure in the renal vessels, there is a constant activation of the RAAS system of the kidneys. Which in turn leads to constant high blood pressure. Systematic obstruction of urine outflow also leads to the activation of the RAAS of the kidneys. Which in turn leads to constant high blood pressure.

PS The RAAS system - the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, regulates blood pressure both by changing vascular tone and by changing the amount of water excreted from the body in the urine - this is a combined regulatory system.

It is important to remember that not only does chronic kidney disease cause hypertension, but hypertension can also cause kidney damage. Thus, if you have high blood pressure, you need to check your kidney condition to get appropriate treatment.

With high blood pressure, blood flow accelerates in the rectal vessels of the medulla of the kidney. This in turn leads to the leaching of more sodium and urea ions from the medulla of the kidney, so the excretion of water from the body increases. Long-term exposure to high blood pressure on the kidney (due to disease) leads to impaired renal function.

Basics of blood pressure self-monitoring

Rules for measuring blood pressure.

• The patient is sitting in a comfortable position, the cuff is placed on the shoulder at the level of the heart, 2 cm above the elbow.
• Avoid drinking coffee and strong tea for 1 hour before the test, and do not smoke for 30 minutes. The measurement is carried out at rest after a 5-minute rest.
• It is advisable to choose the appropriate size for the cuff: the rubber part should be at least 2/3 of the length of the forearm and at least 3/4 of the circumference of the arm.
• At least 3 measurements should be taken with an interval of at least a minute; The average of the last two measurements is taken as the final (recorded) value.
• Measurement technique: Quickly inflate the cuff to a pressure level of 20 mmHg above systolic (as soon as the pulse disappears);
• Reduce the pressure in the cuff by 2 mmHg. per second;
• The pressure level at which 1 sound appears corresponds to systolic (upper) blood pressure;
• The pressure level at which the sounds disappear corresponds to diastolic (lower) blood pressure.

Remedies for high blood pressure

Provoking factors for a sharp increase in blood pressure, and sometimes a crisis, can be:

• Neuropsychic or physical stress.
• Changes in weather, magnetic storms.
• Heavy smoking.
• Abrupt withdrawal of medications that lower blood pressure.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages.
• Large meals, especially salty ones and at night.
• Consumption of food or drinks containing substances that increase blood pressure (caffeine - large amounts of coffee, tyramine - chocolate, cheese, caviar, etc.).

A hypertensive crisis is a sharp rise in blood pressure from normal to elevated values, accompanied by a sharp deterioration in well-being and often leading to complications.

A hypertensive crisis always requires immediate intervention!

Patient actions:

If symptoms of a hypertensive crisis develop, you must:

• Measure blood pressure.
• If possible, try to lower high blood pressure on your own: quick-acting drugs (sublingual tablet) can be used: captopril 25-50 mg, nifedipine 20-40 mg (patients are asked individually which drug they can take during a crisis);

Impact of behavioral risk factors on health

Approximately half of patients with mild arterial hypertension (BP 140/90 - 159/99 mmHg) manage to achieve optimal blood pressure levels with lifestyle changes, which include:

• to give up smoking;
• normalization of body weight (body mass index < 25 kg/m2);
• reducing the consumption of alcoholic beverages <30 g of alcohol per day in men and 20 g/day in women;
• increasing physical activity - regular physical activity for 30-40 minutes. at least 4 times a week;
• reducing table salt consumption to 5 g/day;
• changing your diet with an increase in the consumption of plant foods, a decrease in the consumption of plant fats, an increase in the diet of potassium, calcium contained in vegetables, fruits, grains, and magnesium contained in dairy products (more about healthy eating).

Main groups of antihypertensive drugs (AGDs) and side effects

It is necessary to understand that only a doctor can correctly assess when and to whom medications are indicated in order to avoid cardiovascular complications in the future. The drug of choice should not only reduce blood pressure, but also improve (or at least not worsen) the course of concomitant diseases.

Currently, five main classes of antihypertensive drugs are recommended for the treatment of hypertension:

• angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors);
• AT1 receptor blockers (ARBs);
• calcium antagonists (CA);
• β-blockers (β-AB);
• diuretics.

α-ABs, imidazoline receptor agonists and direct renin inhibitors can be used as additional classes of antihypertensive drugs for combination therapy.

The basic principles of drug therapy that a patient suffering from hypertension should know:

• Long-term (“ lifelong ”) medication is required!
• the dose of the drug cannot be set once and for all;
• During treatment, it is possible to change the drug(s);
• the drug is prescribed taking into account the effect on risk factors and concomitant diseases (“ each patient gets his own drug ”);
• long-acting drugs should be used (so that it is convenient to take it 1-2 times a day);
• it is more advisable to use a combination of two (sometimes three) drugs, but in much lower doses than if one drug were used;
• An occasional sharp rise in blood pressure is not a reason to change your medications.

Side effects of drugs.

Each of the antihypertensive drugs can have side effects.

Thiazide diuretics sometimes reduce potassium levels in the blood and have some negative effects on carbohydrate and fat metabolism, but the use of small doses is virtually free of these side effects.

Beta blockers reduce heart rate and can worsen chronic bronchitis and intermittent claudication.

When using calcium antagonists, headaches, swelling of the legs, redness of the skin, and increased constipation are possible.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors can cause cough.

Alpha-adrenergic blockers can sharply reduce blood pressure, especially in an upright position, resulting in weakness and dizziness.

The likelihood and severity of a side effect depend on the dose: the higher it is, the more likely the risk of developing side effects is - that is why the doctor strives to prescribe small doses of drugs. The incidence of side effects and their severity may vary among drugs belonging to the same group.

Treatment is a mutual process, its success depends on both the doctor and the patient himself.

Based on materials from national recommendations of the All-Russian Scientific Society of Cardiologists.

Folk remedies for normalizing high blood pressure

If diastolic pressure has increased slightly under the influence of stress, overwork, or eating unhealthy foods, then traditional methods of treatment can be used to reduce it:

1. Valerian tincture. Take 2-3 times a day, 5-10 drops. Has a mild sedative effect.
2. Infusion of black currants, pine cones, chokeberry and peony. Mix plant materials in equal volumes. Pour two teaspoons of the resulting mixture into a glass of cold water and heat over low heat until boiling. Leave for 30 minutes, strain. Take a third of a glass 3 times a day half an hour before meals. The infusion contains a large amount of flavonoids, which have a beneficial effect on the condition of the vascular wall.
3. Lemon juice with honey. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a glass, add a tablespoon of honey. Add warm water to the brim and stir. This drink allows you to quickly reduce high diastolic pressure.