As of: February 25, 2024, 4:45 p.m
By: Andreas Beez
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Professor Martin Halle is a preventive medicine specialist and sports cardiologist.
© MRI
High blood pressure attacks the heart, brain and blood vessels.
Professor Martin Halle, chief physician at the Munich University Hospital Rechts der Isar, and other specialists explain where unexpected risks lurk.
Almost everyone has felt it – at least as they get older.
In fact, around two thirds of people over 65 are affected, and more and more younger people are also affected.
Doctors estimate that almost one in three adults now suffers from high blood pressure.
But the widespread disease is still often underestimated.
Here, top doctors explain how dangerous hypertension really is, how you can detect it and get it under control.
We have put together 23 facts about high blood pressure for our users, including insights that many patients do not have on their radar.
1. The consequences of slightly increased measured values
High blood pressure starts at 140/90 mmHg (see right).
However, it depends on where and how the measurements are taken.
In the doctor's office we speak of mild hypertension if an average value of 140/90 is determined over two days.
Anyone who measures at home should be alarmed if the device always shows more than 135/85 for seven consecutive days.
That doesn't sound particularly dramatic.
“But even supposedly slightly increased values can have dramatic consequences,” warns the Munich preventive medicine specialist Professor Martin Halle from the Rechts der Isar Clinic and refers to a large global analysis.
Scientists from China evaluated 19 studies with over 760,000 participants.
Afterwards, the risk of a heart attack doubled with measurements between 130/85 and 139/89.
In patients with blood pressure between 120/80 and 140/90, the risk of stroke increased by 66 percent.
2. Risk of dementia also increases
Almost half of all strokes and heart attacks are caused by high blood pressure.
“But the disease also puts stress on the cerebral vessels,” says Halle.
“For several years now, a connection between hypertension and dementia has increasingly become apparent.” A study published in 2020 showed that the successful treatment of high blood pressure reduces the risk of dementia by twelve percent and that of Alzheimer’s by 16 percent.
Dementia is practically the umbrella term for when the brain loses performance.
The more precise the better: A doctor measures a patient's blood pressure.
© Panther Media
3. Diseases behind high blood pressure
The increased blood pressure readings may be due to illnesses that have not yet been diagnosed.
These include, among other things, sleep apnea (snoring with longer pauses in breathing and daytime tiredness), kidney disease, narrowing of the aorta (aortic coarctation) and increased production of thyroid hormones.
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4. Consequences sometimes worse than cancer
High blood pressure attacks the blood vessels - sometimes with dramatic consequences.
“Vascular diseases have a worse prognosis than many cancers,” warns Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp.
The President of the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine explains that people with so-called intermittent claudication, a blockage of the leg artery, statistically die ten years earlier.
He therefore advises everyone to have their blood vessels examined as part of preventative care.
This should especially be implemented by smokers aged 65 and over.
5. Most common reason for blood washing
High blood pressure also damages the kidneys.
“Together with diabetes, hypertension is the most common reason why people need dialysis,” reports Halle.
“The small hair vessels in particular suffer from the high pressure.
If diabetes occurs, the potential damage is many times greater and can often be observed in middle age from 40 years onwards.”
6. Hypertension can make you blind
The disease can cause severe damage to the retina and lead to detachment.
“Some patients even go blind,” says Halle.
“Conversely, the ophthalmologist can determine whether his patient suffers from high blood pressure with a simple examination.
Then the vessels appear to be tortuous due to the long-term increase in pressure. Since the eye is practically a protuberance of the brain that you can look into from the outside, the findings at the back of the eye reflect the findings in the brain.
7. Be careful with Ibu and Voltaren
Painkillers from the group of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase blood pressure.
These include ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen.
8. High blood pressure due to the pill
The birth control pill can cause high blood pressure.
“If women using contraception are overweight, the risk of high blood pressure increases two to three times,” reports Dr.
Christa M. Bongarth, medical director of the Höhenried Clinic on Lake Starnberg and expert at the German Heart Foundation.
9. Double risk during menopause
When women reach menopause, their risk of high blood pressure doubles.
Hormones that are produced, among other things, in abdominal fat are to blame, explains Professor Christiane Tiefenbacher, board member of the German Heart Foundation.
10. Fatigue due to tablet errors
Blood pressure medications must be adjusted precisely.
“If blood pressure is lowered too quickly, those affected complain of side effects such as loss of performance, fatigue and dizziness,” says Halle.
“In such cases, the doctor should adjust the medication because losing weight and increasing exercise can reduce blood pressure by ten to 15 mmHg.
At the beginning of blood pressure therapy, you should know that tiredness is completely normal.
The brain is relieved by the normal pressure and first has to adjust to normal values.
This takes about three to four weeks.”
11. Exercising when stressed increases values
If you are stressed, it is better not to exercise like crazy - especially if you are not fit.
“This can increase blood pressure exorbitantly.”
12. Pressed breathing during heavy exertion
During sport, blood pressure can go through the roof; for amateur athletes, the upper value rises briefly to 200 to 230. Strength athletes such as weightlifters even reach 350 for a few seconds during competition. You can always see them puffing out their cheeks on TV.
“For such peak loads, forced breathing is important.
This means that the enormous pressure is not transferred so strongly to the heart and brain,” explains Halle.
“Compressed breathing can also help with great stress in everyday life, for example when carrying heavy objects.”
13. Vascular plaques also in younger people
The dangerous deposits in the vessels, which are massively fueled by high blood pressure, also affect younger people.
“About 20 percent of all men in their mid-30s have plaques in their blood vessels.”
14. Ten mmHg down in a few weeks
The effect of exercise and proper diet and lifestyle changes is far greater than many people think: “This can reduce blood pressure by around ten mmHg after just a few weeks - the same amount can usually be achieved with a single medication.
In some cases it can even be up to 20 mmHg.”
15. Swimming is rather unfavorable
You don't have to take on a marathon.
“The most effective thing is: 15 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week – so that you start to sweat a little,” explains Halle.
“For example, by brisk walking or cycling.
Swimming is not so suitable because the water pressure puts even more strain on the blood vessels.
This is only for experts.”
16. Training also helps the very old
Top form training in a retirement home: It also helps to keep your blood pressure under control.
© Sleep
Regular exercise also improves the elasticity of blood vessels.
“It practically slows down their aging process,” reports Halle.
In this respect, exercise helps twice as much to keep blood pressure in check and protect the cardiovascular system.
Even very old people can still benefit from this effect.
That's why the preventive medicine specialist Halle and his team of sports scientists from the Technical University of Munich have developed a special training program for residents of senior citizens' facilities.
More than 400 very old seniors in and around Munich have now taken part in the so-called bestform training.
The results are currently being evaluated as part of one of the world's largest studies.
17. Pill to help you start exercising
If you have high blood pressure and are untrained, you should not overdo it when exercising in order to avoid unhealthy blood pressure spikes.
“Train in moderation, increase the load slowly,” is Halle’s recommendation.
If you want to start exercising, it's best to get checked out by a doctor beforehand.
“Sometimes it can make sense to take medication first to lower blood pressure and thereby avoid excessive training stress.”
18. The effects of coffee and tea
Coffee, black tea and green tea can cause the values to rise in the short term - “however, the negative effect of coffee is smaller than you might think,” reports Halle.
A lack of fluids can cause blood pressure to fluctuate significantly.
19. Whole wheat bread as a salt trap
Salt is bad for blood pressure.
“It draws water into the vessels, increasing the pressure,” explains Prof. Halle.
Salt is found in large quantities in our staple foods.
“Just two slices of whole grain bread cover a whole day’s worth of salt.” Other salt traps include meat, sausage and cheese.
“That’s why it makes sense to avoid these foods at least one day a week.
On the other days you should try to limit consumption,” advises the preventive medicine specialist.
His tips: replace cheese with quark with pieces of pepper, buy roast beef instead of sausage at the meat counter.
“On average, you should consume less than five grams of table salt per day,” recommends Halle, who is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Heart Foundation.
20. Fish keeps the vessels fresh
The more precise the better: A doctor measures a patient's blood pressure.
© Robert Kneschke
Fish contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which in turn promote the elasticity of the blood vessels.
Nuts and avocados also contain these valuable fatty acids and should be on the menu regularly.
21. This is exactly how much losing weight brings
Those who eat a diet rich in vegetables can also lose weight more easily.
That lowers your blood pressure.
The rule of thumb is: If you lose ten kilos, your values will decrease by an average of ten mmHg.
22. Lack of sleep is poisonous for blood pressure
You should actually relax at night - and your blood pressure also drops.
However, those who sleep poorly often have higher values.
“Snoring can play a role in sleep deprivation – more specifically, sleep apnea syndrome,” explains Halle.
The patient stops breathing.
“This can lead to extreme increases in blood pressure during the night,” warns the cardiologist.
“Scientific studies have shown that pauses in breathing can enormously increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack.”
23. Be careful with temperature changes
Changes in temperature can affect blood pressure.
“When it’s warm, the blood vessels expand and when it’s cold, they contract,” says Halle.
“Only alternating baths train vascular function and should be carried out when medication guarantees normal blood pressure values.”
This is what happens in the body when there is high blood pressure
High blood pressure is considered a vascular killer that can strike anywhere in the body - especially in combination with other subtle risk factors such as diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels.
“Two variables play an important role in the development of high blood pressure: the blood volume and the wall tension in the blood vessels,” explains Prof. Halle.
“If you have too much blood in your vessels, you can imagine it like a balloon that you fill with water.
If the pressure continues to increase, the thin shell will eventually tear and the balloon will burst.” In the case of blood vessels, the inner walls tear first.
This causes inflammation and deposits, so-called plaques, to form.
This initially painless process is called atherosclerosis in medical terms.
The danger increases when the vessel walls lose their natural elasticity and become increasingly rigid.
Stiff walls cannot absorb and cushion the pressure as well.
“It can lead to tears or vascular blockages – even a heart attack or stroke,” warns Halle.
The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk.
High blood pressure is classified into three levels of severity: Measured values of 140 to 159/90 to 99 mmHg are grade 1, 160 to 179/100 to 109 are grade 2 and 180 to 100 and above are grade 3. The unit of measurement is mm/HG Pressure that would raise a column of mercury (Hg) in a tube like a clinical thermometer by one millimeter.
An example: BG, with an upper value of 160 mmHg, the difference from the normal value (120 mmHg) is 40 mmHg.
However, mercury is 13 times as dense as water, which is approximately the same as our blood.
Converted, this means: Compared to a person with normal blood pressure, the patient's vessels with a value of 160 mmHg have an additional pressure of over half a meter with every heartbeat.