Publications
Partners
High blood pressure, or hypertension, has been described as the silent killer of the 21st century. Despite having few obvious external signs, the condition can affect a wide range of bodily and severely shorten the victim’s life span.
Hypertension is said to be present if the individual’s blood pressure is consistently above 140/90 mmHg. At this point the main medical priority should be to sustainably lower the blood pressure to within normal levels.
One of the most common methods utilised for this are blood-vessel dilation medications, also known as vasodilators.
One of the causes of hypertension can be chronic, unnecessary tension in the walls of the arteries. Arteries differ from veins in that they contain a thick layer of muscle which can contract or dilate depending on the needs of the body.
High blood pressure can be useful in situations whereby the body is under stress. By widening, the blood vessels the body can ensure that blood travels around the circulatory system faster, increasing the supply of oxygen and other important nutrients where they’re needed.
Read: What is hypertension?
Unfortunately, certain factors can cause the blood flow to be unnecessarily high, increasing blood pressure which can lead to medical complications. It has also been suggested that unnecessary tension in the arteries could be partly to blame.
The pressure put on the heart by this condition can cause several kinds of heart disease as well as putting the person at high risk for strokes and kidney disease.
Vasodilators work by targeting these tense muscles in the walls of arteries and forcing them to relax, widening the path through which blood can flow.
This increased space effectively and quickly reduces blood pressure across the system and thus diminishes the amount of stress the heart is being put under.
Read: Hypertension and diet
This relaxation works by removing the stimulus that is causing the muscles to tense.
Medication largely works by manipulating the amount of calcium in the space between muscle cells. Different medications accomplish this by different mechanisms.
While vasodilators are unlikely to solve the root cause of high blood pressure, of which there are often many, they are effective at minimising the potentially severe negative effects of the condition.
Taken chronically, it is possible that vasodilators can delay the serious side effects of high blood pressure for many years. This is especially true if they form part of an overall strategy from removing both the causes and symptoms of hypertension.
Read more:
Alcohol and hypertension
Preventing hypertension
Hypertension and your weight
