High Blood Pressure and its effects on Coronary Heart Disease
Rationale
Out of the claims provided I have decided to further research the claim ‘Doctors should be prescribing exercises instead of medications for lifestyle diseases.’ Lifestyle disease defined by MedicineNet.com is: a disease associated with the way a person or group of people live. Lifestyle diseases include atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke; obesity and type 2 diabetes; and disease associated with smoking and alcohol and drug abuse. To further specify my research, I chose high blood pressure and its effects on individuals to later develop coronary heart disease. Therefore, this essay proposes the following research question:
‘Should exercise be prescribed instead of medication to help with high blood pressure, to prevent coronary heart disease?’
Background
Blood pressure is pressure of circulating blood on an individual’s walls of blood vessels. High blood pressure is when a particular individuals blood pressure is above the recommend rate of 120/80 mmHg. The first number represents the blood pressure peak this is when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood out into the body, this cycle is called systole. When the heart refills with blood and relaxes, this cycle is called diastole and is represented m=by the second number. Blood pressure is considered normal to high when over 120/80mmHg and up to 139/89mmHg. However, ideal blood pressure can differ from individual to individual depend on their circumstances. High blood pressure is when and individuals pressure is over 140/90mmHg. When there is too much pressure your heart and arteries can become overloaded as well as increasing the build-up of plaque on artery walls this is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the artery walls, this causes clogging of blood as it travels back to the heart muscles. Not only can this put an individual at risk of a heart attack, it can also weaken the walls of arteries is one’s brain which can lead to a stroke. It also affects arteries in other parts of the body including; eyes, kidneys and legs. Supporting high blood pressure for a long period of time is one of the main risk factors for heart disease.
Currently there is no research regarding the exact cause of high blood pressure. Although, it is known that certain lifestyle conditions and behaviours have been known to significantly influence blood pressure, these include being overweight, not participating in the recommended amount of physical activity, consuming more than two alcoholic drinks a day, continuous stress, old age, smoking and a family history of high blood pressure. However, by simply following a healthy diet to reduce salt and fat intake, participating in regular exercise, limit alcohol intake, managing a healthy weight and stop smoking an individual can control and even prevent high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is one of the main underlying factors for coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease occurs when an individual’s coronary arteries are narrowed and the blood flow to the heart is reduced. The action of narrowing the arteries is cause from the build-up of plaque (atherosclerosis) which is caused from high blood pressure.
Evidence
New research from the university of new England has uncovered a isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise that could provide a simpler and safer way for individuals at risks of having cardiovascular diseases to manage their blood pressure. This exercise would be useful alternative to those individuals who cannot accomplish the recommended levels of aerobic exercise to lower blood pressure. Debra Carlson for the university’s School of Science and Technology said that ‘research discovered that simple exercises with isometric handgrip dynamometers were enough to lower blood pressure. Her team conducted a randomised trial consisting of 40 participants who were training at two different intensities of IHG exercises. The trial entailed participants attend three sessions a week for eight weeks, to determine the effects of the trial participants blood pressure was tested before, during and after. It required participants to sit in a chair and squeeze the hand dynamometers for two minutes and rest for three minutes until four repetition were completed. After analysing the data, Ms Carlson and her team concluded although the results weren’t as significant as those after completing moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise. However, the data does show a positive correlation between blood pressure and the intensity of IHG exercises. (Johnson, 2017)
In an article published by the American Heart Association in 2012, it show the relationship between aerobic exercise and its ability to lower an individuals blood pressure. The article was written by five authors who studied at the Department Of Sports Medicine at the Charite-Campus Benjiman Franklin, Berlin, Germany. A randomised and controlled trial was conducted, it examined the cardiovascular effects