2. High Blood Pressure: The Unseen Threat to Heart Health
Next in line on our list of CHF triggers is high blood pressure or hypertension. Often dubbed the “silent killer,” hypertension operates insidiously, causing havoc without causing obvious symptoms until substantial damage has occurred.
When we talk about blood pressure, we refer to the force exerted by blood against the walls of our blood vessels. When this pressure consistently reads high, it’s a sign that your heart is working harder than it should to pump blood through your body. This overexertion, much like in the case of CAD, can strain and weaken the heart over time, setting the stage for CHF.
So, what are the factors contributing to high blood pressure? They can range from genetic predisposition and age to lifestyle factors like excessive salt intake, obesity, and physical inactivity. Additionally, certain conditions, such as kidney disease, can increase your risk of hypertension.
In the face of these risks, the good news is that high blood pressure can be managed and even reversed with a combination of medication and lifestyle modifications. Controlling hypertension is a significant step towards reducing your risk of CHF, emphasizing the importance of regular blood pressure screenings. (2)
