Hypertension: Myocardial Structural Changes and Cardiac Dysfunctions - Research Paper

Introduction

Hypertension is still a significant problem in the current society leading to the rise in mortality rate among the population. Hypertensive heart diseases are the heart conditions which are contributed by high blood pressure. This disease is usually characterized by the alterations in the myocardial structure and the functions in different cardiovascular dysfunctions. The renin-angiotensin system facilitates the remodelling of the walls and chambers of the cardiac system. The examples of hypertensive heart diseases include coronary artery disease, heart failure, and the thickening of the muscles present in the heart (Drazner, 2011). Since the condition has been a menace which has costed people's lives in our society, this paper will focus on the hypertensive heart diseases among the population.

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Types of Hypertensive Heart Disease

The narrowing of the heart arteries is a condition which affects the transportation of blood throughout the heart muscles. Hypertension leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, thus affecting the blood flow in and out of the heart. The disease makes it challenging for the heart to function normally and facilitate transportation of blood to various parts of the body. Also, this condition can result in the blockage of the arteries and veins by the blood clots, thus leading to heart attacks. Also, the contraction and expansion of the heart muscles are affected by hypertension, thus making it challenging for blood to be pumped throughout the body. Regular hard work changes the functioning of the heart muscles due to thickening and growth of the heart (Drazner, 2011). The left ventricle hypertrophy is a condition where there is an alteration of the heart functions due to its contraction and expansion.

Aetiology of Hypertensive Heart Disease

The condition is facilitated by hypertension, which leads to thickening of the heart muscles and heart failure. The thickening of these muscles affects the functioning of the heart leading to heart failure. Blood cannot be transported throughout the body due to the alteration in the diastolic and systolic phases. Also, the coronary heart disease which occurs due to the accumulation of fats in the arteries can cause hypertensive heart disease (Drazner, 2011). The clump in the arteries blocks blood flow to different parts of the body leading to heart attacks.

Signs and Symptoms

High blood pressure is a vital sign of hypertensive heart disease. The hypertension results in chest pains, which are also called angina. The pressure which is present in the chest makes the person experience chest pains. During the earlier stages of the disease, the person experiences aching sensations in the arms and neck, which spread to the back and neck. Also, an individual who is suffering from this condition tends to feel fatigued due to the shortness in breath. The affected individual might breathe rapidly since their body has insufficient oxygen (Cardoso, Dias, Nascimento & Salles, 2010). Due to the inadequate blood flow to various part in the body, the ankles and legs might swell hence making the person to experience challenges in walking.

Diagnostic Tests of Hypertensive Heart Disease

The doctor conducts various tests which review the patients' medical history and the levels of potassium, sodium and blood count in the body. The electrocardiogram tests tend to monitor and record the patients' electrical activity of the heart. The medical practitioners attach patches on a patients' arm, legs and chest, which shows the results on the screen. Also, doctors can conduct coronary angiography tests, which tend to examine blood flow through the arteries. A catheter is inserted through the arteries into the heart, thus measuring blood flow. Doctors can conduct a nuclear stress test, which is another priority in the determination of flow of blood in the heart. The nuclear tests are carried out whenever a patient is exercising or resting (Drazner, 2011). Therefore, the diagnostic tests help the doctors and medical practitioners to know the appropriate medical treatment to offer to the patient, which would act as a remedy to the disease.

Treatment of the Hypertensive Heart Disease

The treatment of hypertensive heart disease depends on the age, medical history and the seriousness of the condition. Medications help in the prevention of blood clotting, which causes lumps in the arteries. Also, the medicines provided to the patients improve blood flow due to the reduction of cholesterol in the blood veins. For example, patients are prescribed with statins, which help in the treatment of high cholesterol in the arteries (Cardoso et al., 2010). Also, the use of aspirin helps in prevention of blood clots while the water pills are responsible for lowering hypertension.

Consequently, in extreme cases, surgery helps in increasing blood flow in a patients' heart. A pacemaker is implanted in the patients' chest, thus regulating the rhythmic movement of the heart. The pacemaker leads to the production of electrical stimulation, which contributes to the contraction of cardiac muscles. The pacemaker is implanted whenever the electrical activity of the cardiac muscles is absent or slow (Cardoso et al., 2010). Also, doctors can implant the Cardioverter-defibrillators which treats the life-threatening and severe cardiac arrhythmias.

Prognosis of the Hypertensive Heart Diseases

Individuals suffering from this disease tend to have an increase in hypertension as they age. The untreated cases of hypertensive heart disease lead to heart failure and later stroke. The conditions if it unnoticed at the early stages can lead to death among the patients (Goldstein, Fagiolini, Houck & Kupfer, 2009). The patients who have resistant hypertension at a greater of poor results leading to coronary heart disease or stroke.

Complications and Incidences of the Disease

According to Drazner (2011), Coronary heart disease and the left ventricle hypertrophy leads to the heart, which affects blood flow to the rest of the body. Also, the disease causes the ischemic syndrome, which does not allow enough oxygen to get into the heart. These complications result in cardiac arrest leading to death.

References

Drazner, M. H., (2011). The progression of hypertensive heart disease. Circulation, 123(3), 327-334. Retrieved from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.108.845792

Goldstein, B. I., Fagiolini, A., Houck, P., & Kupfer, D. J. (2009). Cardiovascular disease and hypertension among adults with bipolar I disorder in the United States. Bipolar disorders, 11(6), 657-662. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19689508

Muxfeldt, E. S., Cardoso, C. R., Dias, V. B., Nascimento, A. C., & Salles, G. F. (2010). Prognostic impact of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index in resistant hypertension. Journal of hypertension, 28(7), 1547-1553. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8920/fc31323bb38d19ee967412d48983f6faf4a6.pdf