Introduction: Hypertension, a term that appears frequently in our daily life, has gradually become an epidemic disease, it is a chronic disease characterized by increased systemic arterial blood pressure, and its harm should not be underestimated, because it may lead to functional or organic damage to the heart, brain, kidney and other organs.

According to relevant statistics, the prevalence of hypertension in mainland China remains high and is increasing, and 1 in 5 adults may be affected by hypertension.

However, the awareness rate and cure rate of hypertension have been at a low level, which undoubtedly brings great pressure and distress to the majority of patients.

Hypertension is graded according to systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, with normal blood pressure remaining below 130/85 mmHg and borderline hypertension ranging from 130 to 139/85 to 89 mmHg.

Once the blood pressure exceeds this range, it may enter the category of stage 1 hypertension, which is 140-159/90-99mmHg.

If the blood pressure continues to rise to the criteria for stage 2 hypertension, which is 160-179/100-109mmHg, then the patient's health will be at greater risk.

When the blood pressure reaches the level of stage 3 hypertension, that is, above 180/110mmHg, the patient's life safety may be seriously threatened.

For patients with hypertension, timely detection and treatment are very important, so we should improve our awareness of hypertension, prevent and control the occurrence and development of hypertension through regular testing and scientific lifestyle, only in this way, can we effectively protect our health and stay away from the harm caused by hypertension.

Why does high blood pressure cause cerebral infarction?

High blood pressure may cause cerebral infarction mainly due to the following reasons:

atherosclerosis

Long-term high blood pressure can damage the lining of blood vessels, causing cholesterol and lipids to be deposited under the lining, forming atherosclerotic plaques.

As the plaque grows, the lumen of the blood vessel narrows, which may eventually block the blood supply to the brain, causing a cerebral infarction.

Thrombus formation

High blood pressure may accelerate the breakdown of blood vessel walls and the deposition of condensates, making it easier for platelets to adhere to blood vessel walls, and these active platelets and clotting factors in the blood may accumulate to form blood clots, blocking the arteries supplying blood to the brain, leading to cerebral infarction.

Vasospasm

High blood pressure can overconstrict the smooth muscles of blood vessels, causing vasospasm, which can lead to reduced blood flow and increase the risk of plaque formation, which increases the risk of cerebral infarction.

Hemodynamic changes

High blood pressure can cause the heart to overwork, increasing the strength of the heart to pump blood, which can cause increased pressure in the blood vessels while putting too much pressure on the walls of the blood vessels.

This hemodynamic change may lead to structural changes in the arterial wall, making the vessel wall fragile and prone to rupture, forming a thrombus and leading to cerebral infarction.

Microcirculatory abnormalities

Hypertension may affect the function of arterioles and microvessels, leading to microcirculation abnormalities, which may include arteriolar spasm, endothelial cell dysfunction, and thickening of the walls of small blood vessels, which may increase the risk of cerebral infarction.

How high is blood pressure that can cause a cerebral infarction?

The question of how high blood pressure can cause cerebral infarction is a complex one, as blood pressure is not the only determinant.

Generally speaking, hypertension is one of the main risk factors for cerebral infarction, and long-term hypertension will increase the burden on cerebral blood vessels, leading to cerebral vascular atherosclerosis, and then causing cerebral infarction.

Specifically, if a person's blood pressure is consistently higher than 140/90 mm Hg, it falls into the category of hypertension, and when the blood pressure is consistently higher than 180/110 mm Hg, it falls into the category of malignant hypertension, at which time the risk of cerebral infarction increases significantly.

Blood pressure 145/95 has a cerebral infarction, why are 160/100 people fine?

People with a blood pressure of 145/95 have a cerebral infarction while 160/100 people are fine, which may be related to a variety of factors.

First of all, individual differences are one of the important factors affecting the incidence of cerebral infarction, and different people's physical condition, age, gender, genetic background and lifestyle habits may affect their tolerance and response to blood pressure, so even if the blood pressure values are similar, the risk of cerebral infarction may be different in different people.

Secondly, blood pressure fluctuations are also one of the factors affecting the incidence of cerebral infarction, and people with blood pressure of 145/95 may be more susceptible to blood pressure fluctuations than people with blood pressure of 160/100, because their blood pressure values are closer to the normal high value.

Fluctuations in blood pressure may lead to pathological changes such as cerebral vasospasm, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis, which in turn induce cerebral infarction.

In addition, the incidence of cerebral infarction is also associated with a variety of risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and obesity, which may have a synergistic effect on the onset of cerebral infarction, so even if blood pressure is similar, the risk of cerebral infarction may be different in different people.

In conclusion, blood pressure is only one factor, not the only factor, in the development of cerebral infarction, so even if blood pressure values are similar, the risk of cerebral infarction may vary between different people.

Individual differences, blood pressure fluctuations, and other risk factors may all play a role in the development of cerebral infarction. Therefore, for patients with hypertension, maintaining stable blood pressure and preventing other risk factors are important measures to reduce the risk of cerebral infarction.

What are the other triggers that increase the risk of cerebral infarction?

smoking

Nicotine and other harmful substances in cigarettes can stimulate the body to produce adrenaline, causing blood vessels to constrict, and long-term heavy smoking will make the substances in the blood easy to be deposited in the blood vessel wall, narrowing the lumen and increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, which may lead to cerebral infarction.

Drinking

Long-term alcohol consumption can damage the endothelium of blood vessels, leading to hardening of the arteries and increasing the risk of cerebral infarction.

Improper diet

High-salt foods can easily lead to atherosclerosis, while high-sugar foods can increase blood viscosity and increase blood pressure.

Excessive stress and depression

Nervousness, anxiety, depression and other emotions may cause vasospasm, affect normal blood circulation, induce blood clots, and accelerate the occurrence of cerebral infarction.

diabetes

Long-term hyperglycemia will cause irritation to large blood vessels, resulting in diffuse sclerosis of cerebral blood vessels, and elevated blood sugar will also affect the metabolism of lipids, water, and electrolytes, increasing the risk of cerebral infarction.

Have underlying heart disease

Such as atrial fibrillation, congenital heart disease, cardiac myxoma and heart valve disease, these diseases can easily cause thrombosis in the heart wall, and may cause cerebral infarction when they fall off.

Hyperlipidemia

The increase in cholesterol in the blood is easy to form arteriosclerotic plaques, which accumulate in the arteries, narrowing the lumen of the arteries, blocking the blood flow to the corresponding parts, resulting in functional defects and easy to cause cerebral infarction.

Before the onset of cerebral infarction, there will be 4 signals, do not ignore them

headache

Headache is one of the most common signs before a cerebral infarction, and patients often experience severe pain in the head, sometimes accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This may be due to increased intracranial pressure due to blockage of blood vessels in the brain.

vertigo

Before the onset of cerebral infarction, patients may experience sudden dizziness, a feeling of rotation of objects around them, or even loss of balance, which may be caused by a blockage of blood vessels in the brain that causes a lack of oxygen to the brain.

Visual impairment

Visual disturbance is also a sign before a cerebral infarction. Patients may experience blurred vision, visual field defects, and darkness in front of their eyes, which may be caused by insufficient blood supply to the eye due to blockage of cerebral blood vessels.

language barrier

Before the onset of cerebral infarction, patients may have speech difficulties, such as slurred speech, aphasia, and inability to understand the language of others, which may be caused by damage to the brain's language center due to cerebral vascular blockage.

Cerebral infarction can bring a series of complications, which should be prevented in advance

Lung infections

Because cerebral infarction may cause difficulty swallowing or impaired consciousness, aspiration or the introduction of food debris into the lungs, which can lead to lung infection.

To prevent lung infections, the following measures can be taken: ensure that the patient eats safely to avoid food debris entering the lungs, regularly turn over and pat the back to promote the discharge of sputum, and pay attention to oral hygiene and clean the mouth regularly.

Pressure

Patients with cerebral infarction are prone to bedsores in the compressed parts of the body due to long-term bed rest. To prevent pressure sores, the following measures can be taken: keep the patient's bed dry and tidy, turn the patient regularly to avoid prolonged pressure, and use air or soft cushions to protect the stressed area.

Lower extremity deep thrombus formation

Patients with cerebral infarction have limited mobility and slow venous blood flow in the lower limbs, which makes them easy to form thrombosis. To prevent DVT, the following measures can be taken: encourage active or passive lower extremity activity, perform lower extremity massage or air pump therapy for immobile patients, and prevent it with anticoagulants if necessary.

Water and electrolyte imbalances

Patients with cerebral infarction are prone to water and electrolyte imbalances due to dietary restrictions, vomiting, diarrhea and other reasons. To prevent water and electrolyte abnormalities from occurring, the following measures can be taken: ensuring that the patient is eating with adequate fluids and electrolytes or, for those who are unable to eat, by replacing the electrolytes and fluids needed with intravenous fluids.

How to control blood pressure and reduce the occurrence of cerebral infarction?

Monitor your blood pressure regularly

Knowing your blood pressure level is the first step to controlling your blood pressure, and it's recommended to have your blood pressure measured at least once a year or regularly monitored as recommended by your doctor.

If you have a family history of high blood pressure or have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you may need to monitor your blood pressure more often.

Lifestyle improvements

By changing some lifestyle habits, blood pressure can be effectively lowered. For example, maintain a healthy diet, reduce salt intake (no more than 6 grams per day), increase the intake of potassium, calcium, magnesium and other elements, exercise moderately, keep your weight within a healthy range, quit smoking and limit alcohol, maintain adequate sleep and reduce mental stress, etc.

drug therapy

If your blood pressure can't be controlled with lifestyle modifications, then you may need medication, be sure to use the medication under your doctor's guidance, and monitor your blood pressure and medication side effects regularly.

Control of other risk factors

In addition to hypertension, there are other risk factors for cerebral infarction, such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking, etc., and controlling these risk factors can also reduce the risk of cerebral infarction.

Read more: Will cerebral infarction not recur after it is cured?

Cerebral infarction is a serious cerebrovascular disease, and whether it will recur after cure depends on a variety of factors.

Generally speaking, if the patient's risk factors are effectively controlled, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, etc., and the bad lifestyle habits are actively changed, such as quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and controlling diet, the risk of recurrence of cerebral infarction will be reduced.

However, cerebral infarction is a complex disease, and the risk of recurrence cannot be completely eliminated, and some patients may still face the risk of recurrence after cure, which may be related to individual differences, genetic factors, atherosclerosis, and other factors.

In addition, some patients may still have some fragility of cerebral blood vessels after healing, and are susceptible to re-infarction due to stimulation by external factors.

Therefore, after cerebral infarction is cured, patients should continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle, have regular physical examinations and follow-ups, and follow the doctor's recommendations for medication and lifestyle interventions to reduce the risk of recurrence.

In addition, for patients who have already had a cerebral infarction, risk factors should be treated and controlled promptly to reduce the risk of recurrence.

In conclusion, it is not certain that cerebral infarction will not recur after healing, but the risk of recurrence can be reduced through an active lifestyle and medical intervention, so patients should maintain a positive mindset and work closely with their doctors to maintain their health.