People need to take hypertension more seriously: Dr Vijay Surase

By: Dr Vijay Surase | | Updated: June 10, 2014 3:36 pm

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People often don’t take hypertension or high blood pressure seriously. This is perhaps because this disease shows no symptoms in the early stages and is fairly common among Indians. Asian Indians are in general more susceptible to cardiovascular ailments including hypertension due to genetic predisposition. Dr Vijay Surase, our expert cardiologist tells us why we should worry more about high blood pressure Also Read - Did you know there is no 'perfect' blood pressure reading? (+ other facts about hypertension)

Most people like to live in denial about hypertension. They see their parents and other older relatives live with the disease and think will also be able to cope fine. However, more and more people are falling prey to high BP related-disorder, it certainly has something to do with the lifestyle choices people make these days. They drink more, smoke more, exercise less and eat unhealthy packaged foods. All these habits, coupled with genetic predisposition makes younger people prone to high blood pressure and its related complications. Also Read - World Hypertension Day 2020: Why yoga is a must for managing prehypertension

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Another major concern is that in the early days, the disease has no observable, drastic symptoms which give people the impression there’s nothing to worry about it. However, this is a disease which is actually a silent killer like diabetes – people don’t pay heed until it’s too late. If left unchecked, hypertension will affect your most vital organs – the heart, kidneys, brain and retina. The cells of these organs will not regenerate once the damage is done.

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More and more youngsters suffering…

And it’s not just an old age problem anymore. More and more young people are suffering from high blood pressure related ailments. There’s a need to increase awareness about the disease. It requires you to be aware of your condition – so many people don’t even get their blood pressure checked. I believe taking care and keeping check of your blood pressure is similar to buying insurance. While you may not get immediate returns, it will decrease your risk of getting a heart attack or suffering from kidney failure and retinal blindness in the future. So stay safe, be vigilant and get your blood pressure checked today.

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Published : January 9, 2013 9:21 am | Updated:June 10, 2014 3:36 pm

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