Can high blood pressure be hereditary?

Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
Updated on January 15, 2025
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Hypertension has a certain level of heritability, and research indicates that if parents have hypertension, their children’s risk of developing this condition significantly increases.

Of course, genetic factors are only one of the reasons for the development of hypertension. The presence of genetic factors does not necessarily lead to hypertension; postnatal environmental factors are also very important. Maintaining good lifestyle habits over time, including healthy dietary habits, regular physical exercise, reasonable weight control, and a positive mindset can help prevent hypertension. Moreover, even without a family history of hypertension, poor lifestyle habits can still lead to the development of the condition.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
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Is a blood pressure of 150 severe?

A blood pressure of 150 mmHg is not necessarily serious by itself; further risk stratification of blood pressure needs to be conducted. If the risk stratification of blood pressure is high or very high, the condition is relatively serious and active antihypertensive treatment is necessary to effectively reduce the future risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, thus improving the patient's prognosis. If the blood pressure of 150 mmHg is classified as low or medium risk, this level of blood pressure is not serious, but it still requires long-term standardized treatment to control the blood pressure to the target level. If blood pressure is not well controlled, long-term hypertension can gradually make the condition very serious, increase the risk stratification, and significantly raise the likelihood of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Symptoms of hypertension

Hypertension is a common and frequently occurring disease clinically. Mild hypertension often has no clinical symptoms and is usually detected during physical examinations when measuring blood pressure reveals an increase. In cases of severe hypertension, individuals with long-term high blood pressure may experience dizziness, a feeling of pressure in the head, and headaches. In serious cases, symptoms can include tinnitus and palpitations, requiring the use of effective antihypertensive medications for management. If patients with hypertension do not use medications to manage their condition, long-term high blood pressure can cause significant harm to the body, leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension-induced heart disease, and stroke. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Symptoms of Hypertension in Pregnant Women

During pregnancy, if a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure, initially there are no symptoms, because at the beginning the blood pressure just slightly exceeds 140/90mmHg. If the high blood pressure is only temporary, it generally does not affect the woman's body and therefore, she may not experience any symptoms. As the condition progresses, the symptoms of high blood pressure can cause physical harm to the woman, likely damaging the kidneys and causing proteinuria. The loss of protein can lead to edema in women, and as a result, many women's initial symptoms will appear as generalized swelling, which does not improve with rest. By measuring blood pressure and urinary protein, symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women can be detected. In the later stages of the disease, hypertension may sometimes be accompanied by dizziness, indigestion, and mild pain in the lower abdomen, which are all symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
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What can you eat to lower high blood pressure?

Patients with hypertension may experience some reduction in blood pressure by consuming certain vegetables and fruits, such as celery, winter melon, spinach, kiwifruit, hawthorn, and bananas. Additionally, drinking some types of tea, like kuding tea, Eucommia tea, Apocynum tea, and kudzu root tea, can also help lower blood pressure. However, these effects are not very strong and these items should not be relied upon for blood pressure treatment. Patients with hypertension need to adopt standardized treatment methods for long-term blood pressure control, actively improve their lifestyle, and choose appropriate first-line antihypertensive medications for long-term treatment. It is essential to maintain blood pressure control to prevent adverse outcomes caused by hypertension and improve prognosis.

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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.