HYPERTENSION AND
MICROCIRCULATION
HYPERTENSION AND MICROCIRCULATION
HYPERTENSION
Recent studies state that the number of adults between 30 and 79 years of age with hypertension has increased from 650 million to 1.28 billion worldwide over the past 30 years.
Approximately two-thirds of individuals over the age of 65 are hypertensive, and individuals with normal blood pressure at the age of 55 have a 90% risk of becoming hypertensive during their lifetime.
Generally, the disease does not give definite and recognisable symptoms and sometimes palpitations, headaches or tiredness may occur. The main goal of hypertension therapy is not only to bring the values back to normal, but also to protect the organs that could possibly be affected from the damage that high blood pressure can cause.
Hypertension, if left untreated, increases the cardiovascular risk, i.e. the likelihood of developing a thrombus within a blood vessel, obstructing it and increasing the risk of heart attack, angina pectoris or heart failure.
MICROCIRCULATION
Microcirculation consists of the complex capillary network where arterial and venous circulations meet. Its function is to allow the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and to remove toxins and waste substances that impede normal blood flow. Microcirculation can be impaired by numerous factors, such as ageing, fluid accumulation, hypertension or an unhealthy lifestyle.
