Index
- Obesity and hypertension, what are the health risks?
- Hypertension, definition and origins
- Overweight, obesity and hypertension, high risks during adolescence
- The dangers of high blood pressure in obesity
- Losing weight while hypertensive, what to do?
Obesity and hypertension, what are the health risks?
In recent years, obesity has risen to the top of the list of diseases that affect the most people around the world. It is characterized by overweight which is, in turn, caused by excess fat stored in the body. The location of this excess fat will then determine the severity of the health consequences of obesity. In any case, having more fat than muscle has never been beneficial for anyone, wherever it is located. And among the most common and serious consequences of obesity are cardiovascular disease. In the next few paragraphs, you will discover what links obesity and high blood pressure and the effects this association can have on health.
Hypertension, definition and origins
A little earlier, we talked about characterizing obesity. It is therefore an excess of fat that the body stores in rather sensitive places. The fat in question can influence the functioning of certain organs and cause various health problems. But what about hypertension? Actually, hypertension refers to an increase in blood pressure during rest. Note that it is the pressure that blood exerts on all the walls of the arteries. It is characterized by two numbers: the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. These two values are expressed in centimetres of mercury or cmHg. Hypertension is defined as systolic pressure (the higher value) being greater than 140 mmHg and diastolic pressure being greater than or equal to 90 mmHg.
As for the origins of hypertension, they are not obvious. However, scientists have been able to discover that it may be related to a family history. Other risk factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol and salt consumption, diabetes, stress and obesity also exist. What they have in common is that they aggravate high blood pressure.
Overweight, obesity and hypertension, high risks during adolescence
In order to determine the relationship between obesity and increased blood pressure, studies were conducted on 22,000 young people in Germany. Although several years old, this study highlighted the dramatic increase in the risk of hypertension among obese adolescents.
Specifically, adolescents with a high body mass index or BMI are more likely to suffer from hypertension than those with a normal weight. And this risk is greater for overweight girls than for boys. This risk is 3.3 and 2.4 times higher respectively in the case of obesity.
It has also been shown that the risk of hypertension is an increasing function of weight gain. Thus, at normal weight, the risk is only 5.7% for boys and 5% for girls. In the case of obesity, these figures increase to 18.6% and 24.4% respectively.
The dangers of high blood pressure in obesity
Recognizing hypertension when you are obese can be confusing. Especially since its symptoms can mislead the patient. However, you can recognize high blood pressure by the following signs:
- Headaches are quite frequent and localized on the top of the head or in the back of the head
- Dizzy spells
- Persistent fatigue
- Visual disturbances such as seeing flying flies or noticing fog right in front of your eyes
- Nosebleeds
- Respiratory discomfort
- Muscle cramps and a frequent urge to urinate
High blood pressure, when it becomes chronic, can be very dangerous to health. Indeed, it can be the cause of many cardiovascular pathologies. And in obese people, it is just as dangerous and serious. Indeed, obesity and hypertension are linked by the fact that excess weight, particularly abdominal obesity, favours the onset of hypertension. Thirty to 40 per cent of obese people are prone to hypertension, and this frequency is higher among people aged 45 and over.
As you will have understood, excess fat, especially abdominal fat, can promote the onset of high blood pressure. And when obese people do not follow an adequate treatment, this high blood pressure represents a real danger for their health. In fact, high blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke. Stroke is an injury to the brain. It is usually caused by a rupture of blood vessels in the brain, resulting in hemorrhage. Stroke can also be caused by the appearance of a clot or fat plaque in the brain. These act by interrupting the flow of blood. It can also be the cause of a myocardial infarction. Note that the latter is an attack on the heart muscle. It is caused by stopping the blood flow to the heart.
Losing weight while hypertensive, what to do?
To avoid the consequences of high blood pressure, but also of other pathologies linked to obesity, it is important to lose a few pounds. To do this, you can do the following:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Opt for whole grains
- Limit salt and alcohol consumption
- Be physically active
