The globe recognizes the fight against hypertension on May 17th. This ailment has long since shed its label as solely a condition of old age, increasingly affecting the young and active demographics.
Aif.ru explores the ways that genetics, bottled-up anger, and even nocturnal breathing interruptions force our blood vessels into overdrive.
A Time Bomb
Hypertension is rightly dubbed the “silent killer.” This condition, where a blood pressure monitor consistently shows readings above 140/90 mmHg, can erode the body for decades without signaling any pain.
“Hypertension arises because the body loses its capacity to handle strain,” explains Doctor of Medical Sciences Larisa Volkova, a professor at Perm Polytechnic University’s Department of Environmental Protection. “Normally, when arteries and veins narrow or blood volume increases, receptors in the kidneys and heart send signals to widen the vessel lumen or expel excess fluid.
However, if over many years a person consumes excessive salt, which retains water, remains sedentary, carries excess weight, smokes, or endures chronic stress, these compensatory mechanisms wear out. The vessels lose their ability to relax and remain in perpetual spasm, compelling the heart to pump blood with greater force. Gradually, the pressure stabilizes at high levels—and there you have hypertension.”
An individual may remain oblivious to their illness for years. Meanwhile, a catastrophe unfolds within the arteries: due to the constant strain on the heart and blood pressure surges, the vessel walls develop micro-fissures.
The body attempts to “patch” these with fats, but instead of dissolving, these “patches” harden, forming atherosclerotic plaques. The space within the vessels shrinks, and the person grows accustomed to living with pressures of 180/100, unaware that the bomb has already begun ticking.
Then, a plaque rupture occurs, blocking the vessel—resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
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Genes Versus Lifestyle
In approximately 90% of instances, hypertension is primary—meaning it doesn’t stem from a specific organ malfunction but rather from genetic predispositions combined with adverse environmental influences. In the remaining 10% of cases, persistently high blood pressure acts as a symptom of other underlying diseases.
From a hereditary standpoint, nature sometimes works against us. DNA research has revealed that genes responsible for vessel constriction (like the angiotensinogen protein gene) are dominant over genes regulating normal blood pressure. Consequently, over 30% of the global population carries this susceptibility. If one parent has a defect in this segment of their genetic code, the child only needs to inherit one copy for their vessels to fall into chronic tension and their kidneys to retain water.
An interesting detail relates to blood type. Larisa Volkova clarifies that those with Type I blood have a lower risk of hypertension due to the so-called von Willebrand factor—one of the principal proteins regulating blood clotting. People with this type have less viscous blood that is less prone to thrombus formation compared to carriers of Types II, III, and IV. This naturally shields their vessels from blockages.
Yet, even an ideal genetic profile is powerless against a destructive lifestyle. Every extra 10 kilograms of weight (especially around the waist) adds 2–4 mmHg to the blood pressure reading. Chronic stress floods the blood with cortisol, keeping arteries constricted, while cigarette smoke damages their inner lining with every puff.
Professor Volkova also highlights subtle contributing factors, such as vitamin deficiencies:
- B vitamins (B6, B12) prevent blockages.
- Vitamin D regulates pressure through renin production; its scarcity during darker months explains seasonal spikes.
- Potassium and magnesium act as natural relaxants: the former flushes out salt, while the latter inhibits arterial contraction.
Vision quality and arterial pressure levels are critically important for everyone. Furthermore, both metrics are intrinsically linked.
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The connection between mental state and vascular tone is far tighter than commonly believed. According to the scientist, the classic profile of a hypertensive patient isn’t an aggressive screamer, but rather someone conditioned since childhood to be “good.” Suppressing anger, fear, and irritation, forbidding the expression of negativity within the family, molds a personality with high internal tension.
Outwardly calm and positive, such individuals carry an unexpressed emotional burden that manifests as vascular spasms and hypertensive crises. Treating these patients with psychotherapy, coaching them to establish boundaries, and teaching emotional expression often helps reduce medication dosages.
Another hidden cause of secondary hypertension is obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
“This involves repeated cessations of breathing during sleep due to the collapse of soft throat tissues, most often triggered by obesity, age-related muscle tone loss, or anatomical quirks,” explains Larisa Volkova about the mechanism. “During these episodes, blood oxygen levels plummet; the brain receives an alarm signal and releases adrenaline and cortisol—stress hormones—which cause the heart to beat faster and vessels to constrict.
There can be hundreds of such spikes in a single night, and their regular recurrence ensures the sympathetic nervous system remains constantly agitated. Consequently, blood pressure ceases to drop to normal levels even during the daytime.”
Youth Is Not a Guarantee of Safety
The disease is rapidly getting younger. While it was once considered the domain of those over 40, today, nearly one in ten people under 30 is familiar with high blood pressure. In younger individuals, it is more often secondary (due to kidney issues or endocrine disruptions), but poor habits and adrenaline surges in response to stress make modern people (especially men) vulnerable to this ailment.
The initial warning signs are easily dismissed as fatigue: “floaters” in vision, throbbing in the back of the head, dizziness, or sudden loss of balance. If these symptoms recur, Professor Volkova advises immediately grabbing a blood pressure monitor and starting a log, and if readings consistently hit 140/90 or higher, seeing a general practitioner or cardiologist for checks on cholesterol, kidneys, and heart function.
The good news is that genetic vulnerability is merely a warning, not a fatal outcome. Research confirms that for individuals with high genetic risk, adopting a healthy lifestyle lowers the probability of vascular catastrophes by 65%.
“The recommendations are universal: maintain a healthy weight, limit salt intake to 5 grams daily, and increase physical activity. Quitting smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, and a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are also crucial. If one begins monitoring their pressure and adhering to these principles from youth, it is possible to delay or even entirely prevent the onset of hypertension,” concludes Larisa Volkova.
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