Hypertension is a common and frequent disease worldwide, which can lead to damage to the target organs of multiple organs and seriously threaten human health. To this end, on April 7, 1978, the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Cardiology Societies decided to designate May 17 as "World Hypertension Day" every year, aiming to draw attention to hypertension.
This year, 17 May marks the 10th World Hypertension Day, and the theme of this year's event is "Healthy Blood Pressure, Healthy Heartbeat".
What is the correlation between blood pressure and heartbeat? Expert Details——
Know your blood pressure and heartbeat
Blood pressure is the lateral pressure on the walls of blood vessels as it circulates through blood vessels. Regulating blood pressure is a complex process that depends on the amount of blood the heart outputs and the resistance of blood vessels. When the heart contracts, blood in the heart drains into the blood vessels, and when the heart relaxes, the blood in the blood vessels returns to the heart, and the cycle repeats.
Once the heart has completed one contraction and relaxation, it is called one heartbeat. Cardiac output is related to blood volume, myocardial contractility, and number of heartbeats. If our vascular resistance increases and our blood pressure rises, the heart needs a stronger heartbeat and a faster heartbeat to keep the blood circulating throughout our body.
Blood pressure and heartbeat are inextricably linked
When the patient has symptoms such as palpitation, intermittent heartbeat, or palpitation and intolerance to activity after activity; When an electrocardiogram (ECG) shows a fast heartbeat, irregular heart rate, or premature beats, doctors will consider whether the person's blood pressure may be elevated.
Sometimes the patient's heart rate is not fast, but there is a strong feeling of palpitation, and symptoms such as increased myocardial contractility and strong heartbeat should also be considered. For example, some patients listen to their heartbeat when they sleep (they couldn't hear it before) or feel the blood vessels in their head pulsate when they lie down.
Although the daily blood pressure measurement of some patients is not high, the blood pressure rises rapidly during exercise, so it is necessary to pay attention to the prevention of exercise-induced hypertension. Exercise-induced hypertension often signals the onset of new-onset hypertension.
High blood pressure, rapid heartbeat
What are the dangers to the heart
High blood pressure can cause symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, a strong heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, and premature beats. In addition to the discomfort, long-term rapid heartbeat can lead to decreased heart function and cardiac insufficiency. Strong heartbeat is caused by excessive contraction of the heart muscle, which can lead to hypertrophy of the heart muscle for a long time, which in turn leads to diastolic insufficiency and even the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
When blood pressure rises, the heart increases the pressure in the heart chambers to ensure effective blood circulation throughout the body. The heart is divided into atria and ventricles, and the muscles of the atria are relatively thin, so the pressure in the atria increases more significantly, and arrhythmias such as atrial premature contractions and atrial tachycardia may occur. If blood pressure is not controlled for a long time, the atria will be subjected to high pressure for a long time, leading to the appearance of atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation; Long-term atrial hypertension may also cause the atria to enlarge, increasing the risk of cardiac insufficiency and thromboembolism.
How to maintain healthy blood pressure
In order to maintain health, adults should adopt a reasonable diet and good lifestyle habits, and monitor blood pressure at least 1~2 times a year. If hypertension is diagnosed, we also need to fully assess whether there are other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors associated with hypertension and assess whether there is target organ damage caused by hypertension. Based on the individual situation, choose the antihypertensive medication that is suitable for you, control the blood pressure at the ideal level, and keep the heart rate at the ideal level. Let's work together to maintain healthy blood pressure and heartbeat.
Author: Fan Yanqin, Deputy Director and Chief Physician of the Department of General Medicine, Beijing Geriatric Hospital
Review: Yang Yingna, Director of the Publicity Center of Beijing Geriatric Hospital
Editor: Guo Lei