Physiological basics of high blood pressure | What is the best way to reduce diastole?

Physiological basics of high blood pressure

The basic pressure that prevails in the vessels during the filling phase of the heart is called diastolic blood pressure. It lies at about80 mmHg and is dependent on blood volume, on (mainly venous) vessel diameter and on cardiac output per minute. This is the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute.

The higher the blood volume in the veins near the heart, the more the heart fills up and the more it pumps back to the periphery. When a larger amount of blood is pumped, the cardiac output per minute also increases. Both of these factors lead to an increase in blood pressure, especially an increase in diastolic pressure.

Therefore, the blood volume and the “prefilling” of the heart is the main point of attack for the drugs that lower diastole. Because the blood volume plays a major role in this form of hypertension, it is called volume hypertension. The prefilling or venous blood filling of the heart is also called preload.

This is contrasted with the afterload of the heart. It describes the pressure in the arteries downstream of the heart against which the heart has to pump. An increase in the afterload leads primarily to an increase in systolic pressure.

In the context of our cardiac action, we therefore distinguish between two phases: the already mentioned systole and diastole. During the systole, also known as the tension phase, the strong heart muscle pumps blood into the body and lung circulation. In the diastole, also called the filling phase, the hollow organ relaxes and fills with blood.

Both heart phases generate a measurable pressure in the arteries of our body, also known as systolic or diastolic pressure. Ideally, the systolic blood pressure of an adult is between 100 and 140 mmHg (“first value”) and the diastolic blood pressure between 60 and 90 mmHg (“second value”). If the blood pressure is >140 mmHg systolic and/or > 90 mmHg diastolic, the doctor speaks of arterial hypertension- also known as high blood pressure.

In Europe alone, about 30-45% of the population suffers from high blood pressure! Short and long-term consequences can be stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, blindness and many other serious diseases. Therefore, suitable therapy measures to lower blood pressure are indispensable.