Hypertension is the long-term interaction between genetic and environmental factors, and the risk factors that affect the onset of hypertension can be divided into immutable and modifiable risk factors.
3.1 Unchangeable factors
3.1.1 Age and gender: The incidence of hypertension increases with age. For individuals over 35 years old, the incidence increases by 10% for every 10 years of age increase; The incidence of diseases in women before menopause is lower than that in men, but higher after menopause. Whether male or female, the average blood pressure increases with age, especially systolic blood pressure.
3.1.2 Genetic factors: Hypertensive patients often have a family history, and the blood pressure levels of their immediate relatives are higher than those of their non immediate relatives of the same age. Children with both parents having hypertension have a higher risk of developing hypertension; Children with normal blood pressure from both parents have only a 3% chance of developing hypertension; Children whose blood pressure is higher than normal in both parents have a 45% chance of developing hypertension; The correlation coefficient of hypertension in monozygotic twins (sisters) can reach 55%.
3.2 modifiable factors
3.2.1 Overweight and Obesity: Body Mass Index (BMI), a reference index for evaluating the ratio of weight to height, is calculated by dividing weight (kg) by the square of height (m). It ranges from 18.5 to 23.9 and is considered normal weight; A BMI of 24-27.9 indicates overweight; BMI≥28, For obesity. The incidence of hypertension in obese individuals is 2-6 times higher than that in non obese individuals. For every 10kg increase in weight, systolic blood pressure increases by 2-3mmHg and diastolic blood pressure increases by 1-3mmHg. In recent years, research has also found that not only overweight people are more prone to hypertension, but the distribution characteristics of body fat are also related to hypertension. When excessive body fat is concentrated in the abdomen, forming centripetal obesity (usually measured by waist to hip ratio), commonly known as the general belly, the risk of developing hypertension is much higher than that of the general population.
3.2.2 Dietary high salt, high fat, low potassium, and low calcium: 75% of the sodium intake in the human body comes from diet, and the physiological requirement for sodium is very low. Adults consume 1-2 grams of salt per day to meet their physiological needs. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. Potassium in the diet can counteract the antihypertensive effect of sodium, but the potassium content in the diet of the Chinese population is generally low. High sodium and low potassium have a very adverse effect on blood pressure. In addition, insufficient intake of calcium and high-quality protein, as well as excessive intake of saturated fatty acids, i.e. a decrease in the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (P/s ratio), are also considered one of the factors contributing to elevated blood pressure.
3.2.3 Long term excessive drinking: Men who drink more than 20-30 grams per day and women who drink more than 10-15 grams per day are considered excessive drinking. [Conversion formula of pure alcohol (ethanol): g=alcohol consumption (ml) X alcohol content (%) X 0.8 (ethanol specific gravity). For example, drinking 50 ml of 60 degree Baijiu=50 x 60% x 0.8=24 g of pure alcohol.] Alcohol can cause hypertension, aggravate hypertension, and damage heart and cerebral vessels. The effects of alcohol on blood pressure can be divided into acute and chronic effects. Acute effects refer to the effects of several hours after drinking alcohol. It is generally believed that vasodilation, accelerated blood flow, and mental relaxation after drinking can temporarily cause a decrease in blood pressure, but increased heart rate and increased cardiac output can cause certain damage to the heart. Chronic effects can cause an increase in blood pressure after a few days, with the more alcohol consumed, the higher the blood pressure. Drinking a small amount of red wine may have a preventive effect on coronary heart disease, but long-term drinking of more than 50ml/day definitely has adverse effects on blood pressure. Compared to the frequency of alcohol consumption, the effect of volume on blood pressure is greater.
3.2.4 Lack of physical activity: Among individuals with normal blood pressure, sedentary and physically inactive individuals have a 20% to 50% increased risk of developing hypertension compared to active controls of the same age. Static behavioral factors such as watching TV for a long time can independently affect the onset of obesity and diabetes. The time spent watching TV was positively correlated with the risk of obesity and diabetes. Watching TV increased by 2 hours a day, the risk of obesity increased by 23%, and the risk of diabetes increased by 14%; The sedentary work increases by 2 hours a day, the risk of obesity increases by 5%, and the risk of diabetes increases by 7%.
3.2.5 Long term mental stress: Long term mental stress, anger, distress, and malignant environmental stimuli (such as noise) can all lead to the occurrence of hypertension. Fatigue, lack of sleep, anxiety, fear, and depression can also cause hypertension.
