Hypertension is a major cause of premature death across the world. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged between 30 and 79 have hypertension. Almost half of these people (46%) are unaware of their condition.
According to Nematswerani, most people with hypertension do not exhibit symptoms that something is wrong.
“Some people have headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, heart palpitations, and nose bleeds, which they may not always link to chronic high blood pressure. This is why regular blood pressure checks are so important,” she says.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to serious health issues including heart attacks, by blocking arteries, and strokes, by obstructing or bursting blood vessels in the brain. It can also cause heart failure because the heart struggles to pump blood effectively.
Kidney disease or failure may occur because of damaged arteries, impairing their ability to filter blood. Vision loss can result from damaged eye blood vessels. Sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction in men and reduced sex drive in women, is also a risk.
Long-term high blood pressure can contribute to heart disease, with chest pain (angina) being a common symptom, and promote atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up in arteries.
Untreated high blood pressure during pregnancy poses life-threatening risks to both mother and baby. Peripheral artery disease, causing pain and restricted blood flow to the legs and feet, and cognitive decline because of impaired memory and understanding, are other serious concerns.
Heart-related illnesses
Discovery Life’s 2023 claims data (released in April 2024) adds to the picture painted by DHMS data by bringing in the financial impact of heart-related illnesses.
Read: Discovery Life’s claims report: ancillary benefits dominate payouts
Dr Maritha van der Walt, Discovery Life’s chief medical officer, says that the top life cover claims for most age groups were for cancer and heart and artery-related illnesses.
“Heart and artery conditions were the main cause of death among males (30%) and the second-highest cause among females (21%) after cancer. This proves the importance of screening for the risk factors for heart and artery disease, such as hypertension, through checks such as regular blood pressure checks.”
Who is at risk?
According to internationally accredited information channels (Mayo Clinic, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and prevention, American Heart Association), the biggest risk factors for hypertension are:
- Being overweight or obese. The more you weigh, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.
- Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families, with a genetic predisposition putting certain people at higher risk.
- Physical inactivity. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction, which means there’s more force on your arteries. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.
- The older you are, the higher your risk of hypertension.
- Hypertension affects men more than women up to age 64, and women more than men from age 65 on.
- Black people tend to develop high blood pressure more often than people of other racial backgrounds.
- High stress levels. High levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure. If you try to relax by eating more, using tobacco, or drinking alcohol, you may increase your risk factors for high blood pressure.
- Not only does smoking or chewing tobacco immediately raise your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls. This can cause your arteries to narrow and increase your risk of heart disease. Second-hand smoke can also increase your risk of heart disease.
- Excessive alcohol intake. Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart. Having more than one drink a day for women and more than two drinks a day for men may affect your blood pressure.
- Unhealthy food choices. This includes eating too much salt, as too much sodium in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.
- Certain chronic conditions. Conditions such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and sleep apnoea may increase your risk of high blood pressure.
May Measure Month
May Measure Month is a global blood pressure screening awareness campaign launched by the International Society of Hypertension to encourage people to go for #TheBigSqueeze – a blood pressure check.
Nematswerani says if hypertension is picked up early enough, it is relatively easy to manage.
“That is why we encourage everyone to go for routine health screenings including blood pressure measurements, at least once a year in order to diagnose hypertension before any serious complications make the conditions more visible. These checks are quick, easy and could save your life,” she says.
