Which is more dangerous, low blood pressure or high blood pressure?

Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Blood pressure is a crucial indicator for maintaining human life. Both low blood pressure and high blood pressure can pose significant risks to the body. High blood pressure can lead to arteriosclerosis, and prolonged high blood pressure can cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, with severe cases leading to cerebral ischemia and myocardial infarction. Low blood pressure affects the blood supply to vital organs and also brings negative factors to the body. Extremely low blood pressure can also endanger human life. Therefore, whether it is low blood pressure or high blood pressure, it should be correctly treated and improved under the guidance of a doctor to ensure the health of the body.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
1min 27sec home-news-image

The difference between hypertensive nephropathy and renal hypertension

Hypertensive nephropathy and hypertension due to kidney disease need to be differentiated, as this affects the treatment approach and prognosis assessment differently. Hypertensive nephropathy refers to patients with long-term high blood pressure, which causes arteriosclerosis of small vessels leading to renal pathology. Often, there is also arteriosclerosis in other organs, such as the retinal arteries, which can be confirmed through funduscopic examination. On the other hand, hypertension due to kidney disease occurs when a patient has kidney disease first followed by hypertension, where the causes and types of kidney diseases vary and can frequently lead to hypertension. The difference between the two lies in the sequence of occurrence. Hypertensive nephropathy is characterized by initial high blood pressure and commonly associated with arteriosclerosis in other vessels, which can be preliminarily identified through funduscopic examination. In cases of hypertension due to kidney disease, the patient has other kidney disorders first, followed by hypertension. If a patient's 24-hour urine protein quantification exceeds 2g, it is likely due to kidney disease rather than hypertensive nephropathy. If differentiation remains challenging, kidney biopsy can be performed for further differentiation.

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Written by Zhao Li Li
Obstetrics
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Causes of pregnancy-induced hypertension

There are many reasons that can lead to the occurrence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Normally, due to reasons related to the mother herself or being under the age of 18 or over 35, the risk of developing hypertensive disorders during pregnancy may increase. Additionally, dietary and environmental influences such as a high-salt diet, excessive fatigue, and mental stress can lead to the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension. In some cases, after the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension, it may trigger diseases in other organ systems, leading to severe issues with the placenta, causing complications such as placental abruption, hypoalbuminemia, and cerebrovascular accidents.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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What to eat for high blood pressure

Patients with hypertension need to regularly take antihypertensive medication to bring their blood pressure within the normal range. In daily life, dietary adjustments should be made, avoiding foods high in fats such as fatty meat from animals, offal, fried foods, and sweets. Instead, consume more vegetables high in dietary fiber, vitamins, and trace minerals. Suitable vegetables for people with hypertension include celery, spinach, mung bean sprouts, black fungus, water chestnuts, onions, carrots, winter melon, and Chinese cabbage.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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What is the general blood pressure for hypertensive nephropathy?

Hypertension caused by kidney disease is called renal hypertension. The blood pressure of patients with renal hypertension is generally higher than that of those with primary hypertension. However, these patients can exhibit any range of blood pressure types. Their blood pressure might be in stage 1, meaning the systolic pressure is between 140 to 160 mmHg. It could also reach stage 3, where the systolic pressure exceeds 180 mmHg. In cases of heart failure, the patient's blood pressure might even reach 220 or 240 mmHg, though such extreme cases are relatively rare.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
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Is a blood pressure of 180 considered severe?

Blood pressure reaching a systolic level of 180 mmHg is considered severe hypertension, which is quite serious. This type of blood pressure requires active treatment with antihypertensive medications to gradually bring the pressure back to normal levels. This kind of blood pressure often requires the combination of different antihypertensive drugs with various mechanisms of action to effectively control it. It is recommended to select antihypertensive drugs under the guidance of a specialist doctor based on individualized treatment principles, starting with small doses. The reduction in blood pressure should not be too rapid nor should it cause the pressure to drop too low. In addition to standard antihypertensive treatment, long-term adjustments to lifestyle habits and changes to unhealthy behaviors are also necessary. If there are other related cardiovascular risk factors, they should also be actively managed.