Detailed Explanation of the Harmful Effects of Hypertension on the Heart, Brain, and Kidneys, and Dietary Therapy

Some obese individuals find it difficult to lose weight quickly, necessitating the appropriate use of antihypertensive medication.

A less worrying aspect is that the mortality rate of obese individuals with hypertension is generally lower than that of non-obese hypertensive patients, offering hope for weight loss treatment.

What are the harms of hypertension to the body?
Hypertension is extremely harmful, as listed below:

(1) Hypertension easily leads to heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden death due to hypertension. Long-term hypertension increases the burden on the left ventricle, causing compensatory hypertrophy and dilation of the left ventricle, leading to heart failure.

(2) Hypertension easily leads to stroke. Hypertension causes cerebrovascular lesions and hardening. When blood vessels become blocked, causing embolism, hypertension can lead to rupture of blood vessels, resulting in stroke.

(3) Long-term hypertension can damage the kidneys and eyes, and will also accelerate atherosclerosis, causing coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, kidney failure, and blindness.

(4) Hypertension affects male sexual function. High blood pressure can affect male sexual function, causing erectile dysfunction, commonly known as impotence. On one hand, high blood pressure itself is a contributing factor to erectile dysfunction; on the other hand, medications taken by patients with high blood pressure may also cause erectile dysfunction. Therefore, in addition to controlling blood pressure to a good level, treatment should also focus on medication adjustments to prevent impotence.

Several therapies for lowering blood pressure: Dietary therapy To prevent and correct lipid, protein, and blood sugar metabolism disorders, prevent or delay arteriosclerosis, and reduce the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, we should calculate the patient's daily total calorie intake, the proportion and weight of the three major nutrients, based on the patient's age, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, labor intensity, and presence of complications.

(1) Eat more green vegetables and fruits (no less than 500 grams per day) and tubers.

(2) Regularly consume dairy products (ideally 500 grams of milk per day) and soy products.

(3) Consume three servings of high-protein foods daily, each serving equivalent to 50g lean meat, 100g fish/shrimp, 1-2 eggs, 100g chicken/duck meat, and 100g tofu.

(4) Balance staple food intake (approximately 250g daily) with physical activity to maintain a suitable weight.

(5) Eat a variety of foods, such as small amounts of red wine, oatmeal, and black fungus. Eat a light, low-salt diet (3-5g daily).

(6) Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Daily alcohol intake should be less than 20g, equivalent to 40ml of spirits, 100-150ml of red wine, or 300ml of beer.

Patients with hypertension should maintain a diverse diet, combining whole grains and refined grains, avoiding excessive sweetness and saltiness, and eating three to four meals a day, only eating until they are 70-80% full.