Nobody is saved

In the absence of other conditions that affect health, high blood pressure develops over the course of many years and affects almost everyone at an advanced age. In Chile more than 11% of the population is over 65 years old, and 33% of the total is between 52 and 71 years old (INE 2017). The prevalence of hypertension is higher in older people, mainly because the walls of the blood vessels, such as the arteries, lose elasticity over the years and therefore exert more resistance to the flow of blood.

In addition to age, against which you cannot fight, there are biological and behavioral variables that increase the probability of developing cardiovascular diseases. These are called “risk factors” and are capable of increasing the probability of suffering from strokes, coronary heart disease, heart failure or peripheral artery disease. The main risk factors recognized by the WHO are hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excessive consumption of licit drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, and genetic predisposition.

In addition to age, against which you cannot fight, there are biological and behavioral variables that increase the probability of developing cardiovascular diseases. These are called “risk factors” and are capable of increasing the probability of suffering from strokes, coronary heart disease, heart failure or peripheral artery disease .

Cardiovascular risk factors

According to the latest data published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 74% of the adult population in Chile is overweight or obese , and about 87% declare themselves sedentary (ENS 2016/2017). Therefore, it is not surprising that of the close to 18 million Chileans, 1 in 4 have high blood pressure and 27.6% have suspected HTN . It is estimated that in our country 68.7% of people with AHT know their condition, 60% are under pharmacological treatment and 33% have controlled blood pressure (GES Guide, 2018).

The main risk factors recognized by the WHO are hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia , overweight and obesity , the sedentary lifestyle , excessive consumption of illegal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco , and genetic predisposition .

Each of them is capable of independently and separately modifying the probability of suffering cardiovascular diseases, and the combination of factors increases the risk (1).

It is important to highlight that all these risk factors for cardiovascular diseases can be measured and controlled in primary health centers and thus prevent premature deaths or serious complications.

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(1) A. de la Sierra, E. Bragulata (2001). Hipertensión arterial y riesgo cardiovascular. Elsevier, vol. 37. núm. 5: 197-202.