Q&As on hypertension

Online Q&A
Updated Semptember 2015

Q: What is raised blood pressure (hypertension)?

A. Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood
vessels have persistently raised pressure, putting them under increased stress. Each time the heart
beats; it pumps blood into the vessels, which carry the blood throughout the body. Blood
pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it
is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to pump.

Normal adult blood pressure is defined as a blood pressure of 120 mm Hg1 when the heart beats
(systolic) and a blood pressure of 80 mm Hg when the heart relaxes (diastolic). When systolic
blood pressure is equal to or above 140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure equal to or
above 90 mm Hg the blood pressure is considered to be raised or high.

Most people with hypertension have no symptoms at all; this is why it is known as the “silent
killer”. Sometimes hypertension causes symptoms such as headache, shortness of breath,
dizziness, chest pain, palpitations of the heart and nose bleeds, but not always.

Q. Why is raised blood pressure dangerous?

A. The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of damage to the heart and blood vessels in
major organs such as the brain and kidneys. Hypertension is the most important preventable
cause of heart disease and stroke worldwide.

If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heart and
eventually heart failure. Blood vessels may develop bulges (aneurysms) and weak spots that
make them more likely to clog and burst. The pressure in the blood vessels can cause blood to
leak out into the brain and cause a stroke. Hypertension can also lead to kidney failure,
blindness, and cognitive impairment.

The health consequences of hypertension can be compounded by other factors that increase the
odds of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. These factors include tobacco use, unhealthy diet,
harmful use of alcohol, lack of physical activity, and exposure to persistent stress as well as
obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus.

Q. How can raised blood pressure be prevented and treated?

A. All adults should have their blood pressure checked. routinely, it is important to know your
numbers. If blood pressure is high, they need the advice of a health worker.
For some people, lifestyle changes such as stopping tobacco use, eating healthily, exercising
regularly and avoiding the harmful use of alcohol, are sufficient to control blood pressure.
Reduction in salt intake can also help. For others, these changes are insufficient and they need
prescription medication to control blood pressure.

Adults can support treatment by adhering to the prescribed medication, lifestyle changes and by
monitoring their health.

People with high blood pressure that also have high blood sugar, elevated blood cholesterol or
kidney damage face even higher risk of heart attacks and stroke. Therefore it is important that
regular checks for blood sugar, blood cholesterol and urine albumin take place.

Everyone can take five concrete steps to minimize the odds of developing high blood pressure
and its adverse consequences.

 Healthy diet:
o promoting a healthy lifestyle with emphasis on proper nutrition for infants and young
people;
o reducing salt intake to less than 5 g of salt per day (just under a teaspoon);
o eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day;
o reducing saturated and total fat intake.
 Avoiding harmful use of alcohol i.e. limit intake to no more than one standard drink a day
 Physical activity:
o regular physical activity and promotion of physical activity for children and young
people (at least 30 minutes a day).
o maintaining a normal weight: every 5 kg of excess weight lost can reduce systolic blood
pressure by 2 to 10 points.
 Stopping tobacco use and exposure to tobacco products
 Managing stress in healthy way such as through meditation, appropriate physical exercise, and
positive social contact.

Q. How common is raised blood pressure?

A. More than 1 in 5 adults worldwide have raised blood pressure – a condition that causes
around half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease. Complications from hypertension account
for 9.4 million deaths worldwide every year.

In nearly all high-income countries, widespread diagnosis and treatment with low-cost
medication have led to a significant drop in the proportion of people with raised blood pressure,
as well as the average blood pressure across populations – and this has contributed to a reduction
in deaths from heart disease. For example, the prevalence of raised blood pressure in the WHO
region of the Americas in 2014 was 18%, as compared to 31% in 1980.

In contrast, low-income countries have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure. In the
WHO African region, more than 30% of adults in many countries are estimated to have high
blood pressure and this proportion is increasing. Furthermore, the average blood pressure levels
in this region are much higher than global averages.
Many people with high blood pressure in developing countries are not aware of their disease, and
do not have access to treatments that could control their blood pressure and significantly reduce
their risk of death and disability from heart disease and stroke. Detection, treatment and control
of hypertension is an important health priority worldwide.

1
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

http://www.who.int/features/qa/82/en/
Tanya Jawab tentang hipertensi

Tanya Jawab Daring

Diperbarui Semptember 2015
T: Apa yang meningkatkan tekanan darah (hipertensi)?

A. Hipertensi, juga dikenal sebagai tekanan darah tinggi atau meningkat, adalah suatu kondisi di
mana pembuluh darah terus-menerus meningkatkan tekanan, menempatkan mereka di bawah
tekanan yang meningkat. Setiap kali jantung berdetak; itu memompa darah ke dalam pembuluh,
yang membawa darah ke seluruh tubuh. Tekanan darah diciptakan oleh kekuatan darah
mendorong dinding pembuluh darah (arteri) karena dipompa oleh jantung. Semakin tinggi
tekanan, semakin sulit jantung memompa.

Tekanan darah dewasa normal didefinisikan sebagai tekanan darah 120 mm Hg1 ketika jantung
berdetak (sistolik) dan tekanan darah 80 mm Hg ketika jantung rileks (diastolik). Ketika tekanan
darah sistolik sama dengan atau di atas 140 mm Hg dan / atau tekanan darah diastolik sama atau
di atas 90 mm Hg, tekanan darah dianggap meningkat atau tinggi.

Kebanyakan orang dengan hipertensi tidak memiliki gejala sama sekali; inilah mengapa dikenal
sebagai "silent killer". Kadang-kadang hipertensi menyebabkan gejala seperti sakit kepala, sesak
napas, pusing, nyeri dada, palpitasi jantung dan hidung berdarah, tetapi tidak selalu.
T. Mengapa tekanan darah meningkat berbahaya?

A. Semakin tinggi tekanan darah, semakin tinggi risiko kerusakan pada jantung dan pembuluh
darah di organ utama seperti otak dan ginjal. Hipertensi adalah penyebab penyakit jantung dan
stroke yang paling dapat dicegah di seluruh dunia.

Jika dibiarkan tidak terkontrol, hipertensi dapat menyebabkan serangan jantung, pembesaran
jantung dan akhirnya gagal jantung. Pembuluh darah dapat mengembangkan tonjolan
(aneurisma) dan titik lemah yang membuat mereka lebih mungkin tersumbat dan pecah. Tekanan
di pembuluh darah bisa menyebabkan darah bocor ke otak dan menyebabkan stroke. Hipertensi
juga dapat menyebabkan gagal ginjal, kebutaan, dan gangguan kognitif.

Konsekuensi kesehatan hipertensi dapat diperparah oleh faktor-faktor lain yang meningkatkan
kemungkinan serangan jantung, stroke, dan gagal ginjal. Faktor-faktor ini termasuk penggunaan
tembakau, diet tidak sehat, penggunaan alkohol yang berbahaya, kurangnya aktivitas fisik, dan
paparan stres terus-menerus serta obesitas, kolesterol tinggi dan diabetes mellitus.
Q. Bagaimana tekanan darah yang meningkat dapat dicegah dan diobati?

A. Semua orang dewasa harus memeriksakan tekanan darah mereka. secara rutin, penting untuk
mengetahui nomor Anda. Jika tekanan darah tinggi, mereka membutuhkan saran dari petugas
kesehatan.

Bagi sebagian orang, perubahan gaya hidup seperti menghentikan penggunaan tembakau, makan
dengan sehat, berolahraga secara teratur dan menghindari penggunaan alkohol yang berbahaya,
sudah cukup untuk mengendalikan tekanan darah. Pengurangan asupan garam juga bisa
membantu. Bagi yang lain, perubahan ini tidak cukup dan mereka membutuhkan obat resep
untuk mengontrol tekanan darah.