Most people look for warning signs of high blood pressure or hypertension like headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds.
Cardiologists however warn the public not to wait for symptoms because hypertension, considered as a silent killer, often does not present symptoms. And when it does, the condition may have already reached a severe or life-threatening stage. For this reason, it is important that blood pressure is measured regularly.
“Meron tayong fake news and facts about hypertension. Fake news—hypertension is always headache plus or minus nape pain or sakit sa batok. Fact is maraming hypertensives na walang symptoms. Hinde nila alam hypertensive na pala sila kaya po tinatawag na silent killer. Paano po malalaman na may high blood pressure? Kelangan po magpa check ng BP. Huwag po magrely sa symptoms [We have fake news and facts about hypertension. Fake news—hypertension is always headache plus or minus nape pain. Fact is many hypertensives have no symptoms. They don’t know they are hypertensive, that is why it is called a silent killer. How do you know that you have a high blood pressure? Get a blood pressure check and don’t just rely on symptoms.],” said Dr. Jude Erric Cinco, Cardiologist-Intensivist at The Medical City (TMC) and Assistant Professor at Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH).
Normal range
DRS. Cinco and Albert Hans Bautista, a specialist in Advanced Echocardiography and in Vascular Cardiology, talked about hypertension during a virtual lay forum dubbed “Heart Essentials” held last week in celebration of Heart Month at The Medical City Ortigas. The forum also tackled healthy heart tips and decoding diagnostics or the work-up for the cardiovascular system.
Dr. Cinco reiterated that blood pressure numbers of less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered within the normal range. Borderline blood pressure is when readings consistently range from 120-139 systolic and 80-89 mm Hg diastolic. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure that consistently ranges at 140/90 mm Hg or higher. At this stage, cardiologists are likely to prescribe a combination of blood pressure medications and lifestyle changes.
Dr. Bautista explained that a single reading of high blood pressure does not necessarily mean hypertension, citing factors like stress and diet. If one has a high reading, the doctor will want to see if it stays high over time or three or more times in a week before diagnosing high blood pressure. This makes regular blood pressure check or BP monitoring very important.
Both doctors stressed that untreated high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and diabetes.
“As far as high blood is concerned, ang organ na pinaka naaapektuhan ay ang puso [the organ most affected is the heart],” said Dr. Bautista.
“Number one reaction ng puso sa high blood is heart enlargement or what we call Left Ventricular Hypertrophy or LVH. Pag lumaki ang puso you have the risk of having a heart attack with four times the risk of dying. Wag pababayaang laging mataas ang BP ninyo [Number one reaction of the heart to high blood is heart enlargement or what we call left ventricular hypertrophy or LVH. When the heart enlarges, you have the risk of having a heart attack with four times the risk of dying. Do not let your BP get too high or stay high for a long time],” he added.
Untreated hypertension
DR. BAUTISTA also said that with uncontrolled or untreated hypertension, the patient is also six times more likely to develop heart failure and seven times more likely to develop stroke.
“If you have diabetes or high blood sugar, you have a 70 percent chance of developing hypertension in five years. Diabetes with high blood pressure can destroy blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, heart, and nerves,” he added.
To diagnose high blood pressure, the doctor will check the patient’s BP (using a cuff, usually placed around the arm) and ask questions about signs and symptoms, lifestyle, family and medical history.
The doctor may also order other tests such as blood test, urine test, cholesterol test, Electrocardiogram (ECG), treadmill stress test, 2D Echo, and coronary angiogram to check for the cause and for more signs of heart disease.
Treatment and lifestyle changes can help control high blood pressure to reduce the risk of life-threatening complications.
Quick guide to a healthy heart
HIGH blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the two leading causes of death in the Philippines. The good news is high blood pressure can be prevented or reduced and treated through early diagnosis and heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
Dr. Cinco said it is important to stop smoking. If one does not smoke, do not start.
“Smoking has 100 percent harm and zero benefit.”
Stick to a healthy diet. To help manage blood pressure, avoid fast food, limit the amount of sodium (salt) and increase the amount of potassium in your diet.
“If you want to research about healthy diet, you can check the Mediterranean diet and Okinawan diet,” said Dr. Cinco.
Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure. Dr. Cinco said the exercise target is usually 10,000 steps in a day or 150 minutes of exercise or more a week.
PHA’s 52100
DR. CINCO who is the current president of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), likewise shared PHA’s “Let’s do 52100 daily” movement or five servings of vegetables and fruits, two grams sodium or less than one teaspoon of salt, one hour of exercise, zero smoking, and zero sugary drinks.
The Heart Essentials virtual lay forum was part of TMC Cardiovascular Institute’s week-long celebration of Heart Week 2023 with the theme “The Heart in Synchrony: Multidisciplinary Care for the Cardiac Patient.”
Among the other activities were Basic Life Support Training for the Lay conducted on February 23, 2023 in Brgy. San Antonio, Pasig City; CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) Training and AED (automated external defibrillator) Awareness at the foyer of TMC Ortigas; free BP taking at the TMC lobby, and the Iron Heart competition.
In the Iron Heart Competition, employees, medical trainees, and consultants compete via a stress test to promote and spread awareness on overall heart health. The competitions were held on February 10, 17, and 24, 2023.
To inquire about the services of TMC Cardiovascular Institute, call 8999-1000/ 8988-7000 ext. 6314.