Hypertension is threat to human life

HYDERABAD: A reputed psychiatrist Dr. Darya Khan Leghari has said here that hypertension is one of the leading psychiatric and completely depressive illnesses that poses serious threats to human life.

Hypertension is a silent killer that prevails among the people because of guilt of the past, anxiousness about the present and a bleak vision about future, noted psychiatrist of Sir C.J. Institute of Psychiatry Hyderabad, Dr. Darya said this here on Monday.

He said that hypertension and depression, which is commonly named as "high blood pressure" is a medical condition where the blood pressure is chronically elevated. While it is formally called arterial hypertension, the word "hypertension" without a qualifier usually refers to arterial hypertension, he added.

Dr. Leghari informed that hypertension is a disease which is a source of heart attack or stroke with highest risk as compared to other diseases. Persistent hypertension is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm and also a leading source of chronic renal failure.

About the classification of hypertension, he said that it is classified as either essential or secondary.

Dr. Darya said essential hypertension is a term used when no specific medical cause can be found to explain a patient's condition. He added that the secondary hypertension means that the high blood pressure is a result of other clinical problems such as kidney disease or certain tumours.

In order to avert hypertension, Dr. Khan said that reduction in weight, daily brisk walk of at least two kilometres and avoidance of taking common salt is necessary for any person.