September 21, 2006 – Besides obesity and age, chronic stress can lead to hypertension. This is why the quest for a certain state of calm, better, serenity, should be part of the means aimed at preventing this health disorder.
This is what neurologist Louise-Hélène Lebrun, from the Department of Neurology at Notre-Dame Hospital, maintains.1. According to this specialist in cerebrovascular accident (stroke), stress can cause blood pressure to vary by 10%, hence the interest of approaches that promote downtime, such as relaxation, meditation, breathing conscious, massage therapy or the practice of tai chi or yoga.
Combined with a healthy diet and physical activity, “these approaches should be part of the preventive arsenal because they make the person calmer and more sensitive to their body,” says Dr.D The brown. They also contribute to responsible and more sustainable decision-making when the time comes to change your lifestyle ”.
According to her, the values associated with the consumer society make it difficult to reconcile the different facets of life. “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, individually and collectively, because of the performance obligation that our lifestyles demand, which does not help refocus on our emotions,” she laments.
A growing evil
The prevention, screening and treatment of hypertension constitute a growing public health issue, especially since this health problem is gaining ground in the country.
In 2005, hypertension affected 14.9% of Canadians aged 12 and over, compared to 10.2% in 1998 and 1999. In Quebec, this proportion reached 15.1%2.
Since hypertension is usually asymptomatic, 43% of people with hypertension are unaware of their condition. Only 16% of people who have it are treated to control their blood pressure.3.
Among the youngest too
While it usually affects older people, hypertension also spreads among younger people. “More and more people between the ages of 40 and 50 are experiencing heart attacks or strokes due to hypertension, even in those without a family history,” notes Dr.D The brown.
For them, the drugs allow a reduction of 35% to 60% of the risk of cardiovascular disorders, in the long term. “This more than compensates for the side effects that the drugs can cause,” she says.
Even children are not immune to hypertension. The neurologist ends with a piece of advice for parents: “Why not teach young people the importance of being balanced, the joy of living, rather than enrolling them in courses that contribute to inflicting additional pressure on them? “.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. The DD Louise-Hélène Lebrun is a neurologist in the Department of Neurology at Hôpital Notre-Dame, attached to the Center hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM).
2. Statistics Canada, 2006 Canadian Community Health Survey. Information is available at www.statcan.ca [consulté le 20 septembre 2006].
3. Canadian Arterial Hypertension Society: www.hypertension.ca [consulté le 20 septembre 2006].
