As of: February 23, 2024, 3:42 p.m
By: Susanne Sasse
Comments
Press
Split
Hardened fats in particular are poisonous for the blood vessels, says Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp.
© Nils Stensen Clinics
Blood pressure has a massive impact on health.
But almost half of those affected by high blood pressure know nothing about it.
A vascular expert explains why the danger is so great.
“You are always as old as your blood vessels.” With this simple sentence, Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp sums up why vascular health is so important.
The causes of high blood pressure are often narrowing of the renal arteries or being very overweight, diabetes and arteriosclerosis, explains the President of the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine.
“Inflexible vessels can no longer control blood pressure well.” Trans fats harden the vessels immediately (see main text), other causes have a long-term effect.
Blood pressure is measured using a cuff on the upper arm.
© Christoph Soeder/dpa
Millions of people are affected by calcification in the blood vessels
“Millions of people are affected by arteriosclerosis, i.e. the calcification of the blood vessels.
This can lead to heart attacks, strokes or even circulatory problems,” explains Heckenkamp.
“Although cardiovascular disease is more deadly than cancer, most people do not pay much attention to their vascular health.
And since you don’t notice problems here for a long time, it can sometimes be too late.”
The expert makes it clear that food is closely linked to our vascular health.
And explains: The vessels have a surface made up of a layer of cells on the inside.
This layer is designed like a lotus leaf so that things don't get stuck there and constrict the veins from the inside.
It also ensures that nutrients and oxygen reach the tissue.
Heckenkamp: "The hydrogenated fats or trans fats damage the cell layer and also the cell wall, so that fats accumulate there, as do foam cells and the body's own inflammatory cells, and this promotes arteriosclerosis." By the way: If you pay attention to vascular health in your diet, you can do a lot achieve and even reverse the osteoarthritis.
Vascular medicine specialists have put together a special “Cookbook for Healthy Vessels”, which was published by Humboldt-Verlag and costs 22 euros.
We have three recipes: one for a stew, one for a festive salmon dish and one for a milk-free rice pudding.
Everyone over 50 should have their vascular health checked via ultrasound
How good the condition of the vessels is can be determined using an ultrasound examination.
“Everyone should have the condition checked once,” advises Heckenkamp.
High blood pressure is usually an indication of a vascular problem.
“It must be clearly stated that vascular diseases can be treated, but have a worse prognosis than many cancers,” warns Heckenkamp.
Statistically, people with so-called intermittent claudication, a blockage of the leg artery, die ten years earlier.
The vascular expert and surgeon Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp and his surgical team.
© Nils Stensen Clinics