5 Myths about Hypertension and High Blood Pressure

Improved detection and treatment of hypertension have played a major role in the battle against strokes and heart attacks. But harmful misconceptions about high blood pressure and its relationship to heart disease continue to abound.
• Myth no. 1 Treatment of high blood pressure is often worse than the disease. This is the most harmful of the myths. Medical staff can treat it simply and without discomfort or great expense for the majority of patients. Today’s highly effective medications can almost control blood pressure with minimal side effects.
• Myth no. 2 Mild hypertension need not be treated. If mild hypertension is left untreated, there is real danger of kidney damage and heart disease, such as an enlarged heart. The message is simple: all hypertension, no matter how mild, should be treated. Some people only need to lose weight, cut back on salt and increase their exercise. Others may require medication ranging from one pill per day to as many as 20 pills for extreme cases.
• Myth no. 3 Only tense or anxious people develop hypertension. Hypertension refers to the elevated pressure in the arteries, not to an individual’s personality. Many calm, even-tempered people have hypertension, and there are also tense, jittery types whose blood pressure is normal. However, anxiety or tension can produce a temporary rise in blood pressure.
• Myth no. 4 Older people need higher blood pressure to get enough blood to the brain and other vital organs. Studies have shown that older people with normal blood pressure live longer and have fewer strokes and heart attacks than those whose pressure is even slightly elevated. There is no proof that elevated blood pressure improves the brain function of the elderly; in fact, it can have the opposite effect, increasing the chances of strokes and mini-strokes – major causes of mental deterioration.
• Myth no. 5 High blood pressure is more common in old people. Hypertension may not be diagnosed until the age of 55 to 60 or older, but studies show that most cases develop between the ages of 35 and 45.