Hypertension and Old Age Essay
Hypertension is perhaps the most common yet preventable cause of death among the older population in the US. Hypertension-related issues constitute at least 4.5% of the healthcare burden among older adults worldwide (Buford, 2016). The latest studies illustrate that older adults make up about 70% of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality (Searcy et al. 2019). Although the disease is easy to diagnose, prevent, and treat, hypertension remains the second-leading cause of death in America. As such, the Institute of Medicine (IoM) has labeled hypertension a neglected disease (Buford, 2016). Timely diagnosis and proper treatment are the most appropriate steps towards preventing hypertension-related issues, particularly heart disease.Hypertension and Old Age Essay
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Hypertension is a condition that is independently associated with heart disease, especially in older adults. Recent efforts towards early diagnosis and proper treatment of hypertension have resulted in a substantial decrease in hypertension-related heart disease prevalence and deaths (Buford, 2016). Since establishing the causes of hypertension is complex, it is difficult to associate high blood pressure to particular issues to facilitate prevention (Searcy et al. 2019). The identification of any risk factors would go a long way in preventing hypertension-related heart disease. Some of the risk factors that clinicians should assess include: age, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, increased salt intake, psychological factors, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and sex, among other issues (Buford, 2016).Hypertension and Old Age Essay
Research has established that alcohol consumption increases the risk of hypertension-related heart disease. Studies have also proved that sudden discontinuation of alcohol heightens hypertensive levels among patients. In addition, the coexistence of hypertension and obesity has been demonstrated to increase the risk of heart disease. Increased salt intake also results in an increase in blood pressure levels. Regulating risk factors, for instance, reduced alcohol and salt intake and weight loss, are crucial towards preventing hypertension-related heart disease. Healthy People 2030 sets out to improve the quality of life and eliminate health disparities across the population (Lin et al. 2030). The program focuses on improving the overall health of the people.
References
Buford, T. W. (2016). Hypertension and aging. Ageing research reviews, 26, 96-111.
Lin, Y., Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, M. D., Hoyer, D., Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, … & Rockville, M. D. (2020, October). Healthy people 2030 overview. In APHA’s 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo (Oct. 24-28). American Public Health Association.
Searcy, R. P., Summapund, J., Estrin, D., Pollak, J. P., Schoenthaler, A., Troxel, A. B., & Dodson, J. A. (2019). Mobile health technologies for older adults with cardiovascular disease: current evidence and future directions. Current Geriatrics Reports, 8(1), 31-42. Hypertension and Old Age Essay