Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Explained
Blood pressure is the force of blood flow against the inner walls of your arteries. It gets recorded in millimetres of mercury, mm Hg, in two numbers—the systolic, when the heart beats, and the diastolic, when the heart rests between beats.
A normal reading would be anything around 120/80 mm Hg. Generally, blood pressure is defined as follows: hypertension above 140/90 mm Hg and hypotension below 90/60 mm Hg.
Seventy per cent of cholesterol is produced by the liver while 30 per cent is replenished through diet.
Cholesterol is a fatty molecule and due to its insoluble nature, it is carried by lipoproteins through the bloodstream for the production of some hormones and aid in the production of energy. While essential for building cells, too much can be bad.
Cholesterol is classified as LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Optimal levels of LDL should be below 100 mg/dL, and optimal HDL levels should be 60 mg/dL or higher. The total cholesterol levels should be less than 200 mg/dL.
High blood pressure causes damage to the inner lining of the arteries. Tortuous segments and the areas where arteries give branches create turbulent flow resulting in more damage to the arterial wall. This results in the deposition of cholesterol particles in these damaged arteries.
Both hypertension and high cholesterol are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. When together, they further enhance—by so much more—the potential of heart attacks and strokes. Both, as a result, need monitoring and management to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Stress and smoking can cause inflammation in arteries resulting in damage and cholesterol deposition. Stress results in persistently high cortisol levels which cause increased heart rate, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. All of this contributes more to heart attacks and strokes.
Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan - Consultant and Head – CTVS, Manipal Hospital, Gurugram