Panama Disease: High blood pressure is an invisible, deadly disease that kills thousands every year. How can it be prevented? – Exclusive content

Panama City, Panama/this blood pressure It is one of the indicators our body must tell us whether the cardiovascular system is healthy. This measure reflects The force that blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart pumpsplays an integral role in the function of the circulatory system.

However, when it exceeds the normal range, it can cause serious health problems, including die.

Normal blood pressure levels are usually around 120/80 mm heightThe doctor explained it this way Eddie Cabreraa public health expert, TVN-2.com Consult to learn more about the factors associated with this disease.

The pressure measurement unit is Millimeters of mercury (mmHg) And represented by two numbers: Systolic blood pressure (the top number), which represents the pressure when the heart beats, and Diastolic blood pressure (bottom numbers), showing pressure when the heart is resting between beats.

In my country High pressure is wreaking havocand some people are more prone to this than others. However, there are things you can do to avoid it.

you might be interested: Panama disease on the rise: a challenge for public health

Analysis of mortality rates by health status in 2023 Ministry of Health (Minsa), Hypertension is reflected The third cause The main necessity is to register a 3.8% (55,110) Diagnosis.

The same report states that the proportional distribution of cases shows that 94% occur in adults over 35 years of ageAmong them, people aged 60 and above accounted for 53.5% (27,692 people) of the confirmed cases in public facilities.

By gender, females accounted for 65% and males accounted for 35%, which means that the number of registered cases among females was 1.86 times that among males.

Similarly, data from the Minsa Preventive Health Survey showed that hypertension 20% to 25% of deaths Register annually, and It affects more than 37% of the population over 40 years old.

The impact of this disease worldwide is 25% of the adult population, according to World Health Organization (OMS).

So, what are the risk factors?

Cabrera clarifies TVN-2.com That hypertension (high blood pressure) is the only disease that has a more serious impact on health and Low blood pressure (Low pressure) will cause mild discomfort, but will not reach the level of causing death like high pressure.

“Normally, 10% to 20% of the population has high blood pressure, but most people have not yet identified it and they do not take it seriously”the doctor pointed out.

He explained that there are many factors contributing to this phenomenon. hypertension,Including:

• High-sodium diet: Consuming too much salt can cause your body to retain fluid, which can lead to higher blood pressure.
• pressure: Chronic stress can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure and lead to persistently high blood pressure. It can also lead to death.
• lack of exercise: Lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain and increased blood pressure.
• Genetics: Genetic predisposition also plays a role in the development of this disease.
• High-fat diet: Increased cholesterol and triglycerides can also lead to higher blood pressure.

The Minsa report details Panama National Health Survey (Enspa) The conclusion is that only 7.1% of elderly respondents 18 years old, none had hypertension, 41.6% had undiagnosed hypertension, and 51.3% had hypertension, of which 9.2% (40) had uncontrolled hypertension.

By studying people’s diets in depth, they documented The consumption of fried foods is higher and that of fruits and vegetables is lower.

You can read: Hypertension remains the most common chronic disease in Panama, according to the Ministry of Health

Which groups are most at risk?

According to Cabrera, people with diabetesthey are prone to high blood pressure. The same is true for people aged 50 and over, although it is clear that not all elderly people will have high blood pressure. In addition, obese people are also at a higher risk of developing this disease.

“It’s important that we control the kidneys because it’s the kidneys that control the pressure, it’s the kidneys that are responsible for filtering, it’s the kidneys that are responsible for removing the excess salt when there’s too much salt.” Experts provide detailed introduction.

He noted that in people with diabetes, this happens because “the arteries, the veins become damaged, become more fragile, become more rigid, and then the pressure builds up.”

warning sign

Report sometimes confirms that “hypertension is classified as a silent disease” because the symptoms seem to “hide” for years and go unnoticed by the individual.

Some common symptoms a person may experience are: headache, dizziness or vertigo, blurred vision, fatigue, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and palpitations. However, people do not pay much attention to these types of sensations until the disease has already progressed.

Dr. Cabrera explained that when Systolic blood pressure Exceed 180 mmHg and diastolic 110, That is when a “Broken capillaries” This may result Stroke or cerebrovascular accident.

“When they say he had a stroke, a cerebrovascular accident, it means that at some point, somewhere in the body, it couldn’t handle the high pressure he was under, and that vein could have caused a serious problem.”he claimed.

To avoid reaching this point, it indicates that it is very important to have a checkup every year or every six months to rule out any type of abnormality in the cardiovascular system that could lead to death.

“The symptoms are rare because the body is accustomed to high pressure and does not cause much discomfort. Discomfort only occurs when the pressure is too high and the body cannot bear it,” he stressed.

How to prevent it?

The solution seems simple. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, exercising, managing stress, and practicing good habits can help reduce the risk of suffering or dying from poor blood pressure care.

“The first step is to make lifestyle changes, which is the first measure before you get to the pharmacological part.” Cabrera noted. Cabrera added that chronic stress, intense exercise or intense anger can also completely change blood pressure and lead to death.

“We don’t have to wait until there is a problem. If our kidneys are completely healthy and they are responsible for removing excess salt, there will be no problem. So, we should make a habit of not eating too much salt. “One day I eat salty Chinese food, it’s OK because in a short period of time the kidneys are responsible for cleaning it, but if we do this continuously, we will saturate the kidneys’ ability to clean the blood.” He emphasized.

Another way to prevent it is Primary health care, But Cabrera criticised the situation and said it was “far from optimal”.

Doctors recommend, “All Panamanians must have an annual medical check-up because if we don’t have it, it means primary health care is useless”The point he explained was that without primary care, the person’s health deteriorated to the point where he ended up in the ICU, which, if measured, represented The amount of spending does not exceed US$30,000, For individuals or for the country.

The Minsa report released in December 2023 shows Prevalence in 2021 it is There are 10,842.9 cases per 100,000 residents. The ratio by gender is Male 8,935.6 cases yes Female 12,755.8 cases.

The highest incidence rate is still among adults aged 60 years and above, with an incidence rate of 35,848.1 cases, while the incidence rates among people aged 20 to 59 and under 20 years old are 9,847.7 and 2,960.4 cases, respectively.

Los Santos, Herrera, Veraguas, Coclé, Panama Oriental, Panama East and San Miguelito were the regions with the highest prevalence, with about 11,020.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants that year.