Recently, there are quite a few people with high blood pressure in the outpatient department, maybe because the Chinese New Year is approaching, everyone is very busy and worried, especially about whether to take medication for high blood pressure.
Do people with high blood pressure need to take antihypertensive drugs for a lifetime? Will blood pressure continue to rise if antihypertensive drugs are not taken?
People with high blood pressure do not have to take medication for a lifetime!
If it is necessary to take antihypertensive drugs, and they are not taken, then blood pressure will definitely continue to rise!
Not all people with high blood pressure need to take medication, and certainly not everyone who takes antihypertensive drugs needs to take them for a lifetime:
First, some people with high blood pressure can temporarily not take medication and rely on their own efforts to achieve normal blood pressure.
For example, newly discovered stage 1 hypertension, which is hypertension below 160/100; without hypertension symptoms, diabetes, or cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and able to exercise; then medication can be postponed. Initially, control blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits, low-salt diet, high potassium, low oil, low sugar diet; that is, use less salt when cooking, eat fewer pickles, bacon, soy sauce, and other high-salt foods; eat more fruits, vegetables, and other high-potassium foods. Maintain exercise, control weight, reduce staying up late, reduce stress, and so on. With three months of effort, blood pressure can be reduced to below 140/90 for some people, and they do not need to take antihypertensive drugs. But if after three months it is still above 140/90, medication is necessary.
Second, some secondary hypertension cannot be solved by medication alone.
For example, renal hypertension, endocrine hypertension, hypertension related to sleep apnea, drug-induced hypertension, etc., are not necessarily treatable simply by taking antihypertensive drugs. Some secondary hypertension can be resolved through surgery to treat high blood pressure.
White coat hypertension is when friends have high blood pressure as soon as they arrive at the hospital, but when measured at home, it is normal. According to current recommendations, we encourage everyone to measure blood pressure at home more often, focusing on accurate readings and methods. If blood pressure measurements at home are normal, then that should be considered for the time being; of course, if it is still unclear, the most accurate method is to undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before deciding whether to take medication.
Third, even if taking antihypertensive drugs, it does not mean taking them for a lifetime.
Taking antihypertensive drugs does not always require a lifetime commitment. Even when taking antihypertensive drugs, with continued efforts such as exercise, weight control, healthy eating, blood pressure can improve, and medication may not be needed. Blood pressure can also be kept under control within the normal range without medication. Additionally, with age or other diseases leading to decreased blood pressure, some individuals may reach a point where lifelong antihypertensive drug use is not necessary.
For those who should be taking antihypertensive drugs but are not, consider this: just as not eating for several days would make one starve, the most effective way to control high blood pressure is through antihypertensive drugs. However, long-acting antihypertensive drugs can only maintain blood pressure control for about 24 hours, so individuals with high blood pressure need to take antihypertensive medication daily to control blood pressure; if medication is skipped, blood pressure will naturally rise.
Of course, rising blood pressure doesn’t continue indefinitely because each person has different characteristics. Some people’s blood pressure may rise to 160, some to 200, and some even to 250; yet not everyone’s blood pressure continually rises indefinitely, but rather stabilizes at a certain level. However, as long as it is above 140, prolonged high blood pressure can lead to serious damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and large blood vessels, ultimately resulting in diseases such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, etc.
Therefore, it is crucial to actively and properly control high blood pressure!
Controlling blood pressure boils down to a healthy lifestyle and proper use of antihypertensive medication!
