¿Cómo afecta la obesidad a personas con hipertensión?
How does obesity affect people with hypertension?
Obesity is a growing problem throughout the world. The number of people considered obese has nearly tripled since 1975, and with obesity comes an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, among other health problems..
When you are obese, there is more fat in your body. This fat requires oxygen and nutrients to survive and obtains them through the blood. The transport of blood to these additional fat areas increases the workload of the circulatory system, which leads to a substantial increase in blood pressure.
There is talk of hypertension when the blood pressure in our blood vessels is too high (40/90 mmHg or more)
It is estimated that for every 10 kg of weight gained there is an increase in blood pressure of about 2-3 mmHg. However, the cardiovascular risk that obesity brings with it also has to do with where the fat is located. According to a study published in the journal of the American College of Cardiology, the adiposity that surrounds the kidneys is key in hypertension linked to obesity.
CARDIOVASCULAR RISKS DUE TO OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY:
Adrenergic activity:
- The increase in adrenergic activity, or adrenaline, produces generalized vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries, that is, a reduction in the caliber of the arteries, which greatly increases the risk of heart attack.
- As a result of the increase in adrenaline, hypertensive mechanisms occur at the renal level, such as the reabsorption of sodium from the urine, or the secretion of renin.
- Adrenaline promotes platelet aggregation. This increases the risk of vascular accidents such as thrombosis or embolism.
- An increase in the amount of blood ejected by the heart per minute is generated. This occurs due to increased heart rate.
Aldosterone:
- At the renal level, aldosterone concentration increases, which leads to greater sodium reabsorption.
Insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia:
- Increased insulin levels, which are required to maintain fatty acid and glucose metabolism, which may trigger reduced insulin-mediated glucose uptake in insulin-sensitive tissues and the compensatory response to maintain normal blood glucose levels It is hyperinsulinemia.
You can start with small steps to improve your lifestyle, such as eating healthy, exercising regularly, and reducing stress.
