Introduction
Systole is the ejection phase of the heart, i.e. the phase in which blood is pumped from the heart into the aorta and thus into the body. If the systole is “too high”, this is called the systolic blood pressure value, which is elevated. This is the higher of the two values (1st value) that are measured when measuring blood pressure.
If a patient suffers from high blood pressure (hypertension), often only the systole is too high, while the diastole (blood pressure value of the filling phase) is normal or only slightly elevated. If only the systole is too high, this is often referred to as old-age high pressure, which is considered “normal” from a certain age, but not physiological. The diastole, on the other hand, often decreases with age. In our following article, you will learn how dangerous an elevated systolic blood pressure value actually is and what the causes may be.
Is an increased systole dangerous?
- A permanent increase in the systolic blood pressure value in the context of a normal high blood pressure, which is now unfortunately considered a widespread disease, is a serious illness, but does not represent an acute danger. However, a chronically elevated blood pressure can cause dangerous complications. For example, the risk of a heart attack, stroke or cerebral hemorrhage increases considerably.
- A sudden increase in systolic hypertension to values of up to over 200 mmHg is known as a hypertension crisis or blood pressure derailment.
In this situation, acute organ damage can occur, which is life-threatening. This is an emergency. In the context of a blood pressure crisis, for example, cardiac arrhythmia, cerebral haemorrhage or acute kidney failure can occur.
Causes of too high a systole
There are several reasons why the systole can be too high. As already mentioned, the systole represents the ejection phase of the heart. In this phase, oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the left ventricle (chamber) of the heart into the aorta.
From the aorta, the blood can then reach all organs and every other part of the body via various arterial branches, thus supplying them with oxygen. The reasons for an excessive systole are often due to the fact that the resistance in the aorta is very high. This means that the heart has to exert a very great force to pump the blood from the heart into the aorta.
This great force then leads to increased blood pressure, in this case a too high systole. A distinction is made between primary and secondary hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Hyperthyroidism
- Renal hypertension
- High blood pressure in old age
- Stress/anxiety states
- Hyperaldosteronism
- Acromegaly
- Cushing’s Syndrome
- Pheochromocytoma
- Brain Tumor
- Primary hypertension: This is called primary hypertension when the cause of the excessive systole is largely unknown.
This is very common in adults, even more so in overweight (obese) patients who do little exercise, eat unhealthy food, smoke or consume excessive amounts of alcohol.
- Secondary hypertension: In children or slim, young adults, secondary hypertension is more common, and the systole then appears too high. The possible causes of secondary hypertension and thus of a too high systole are very diverse:
On the one hand, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may be present. The thyroid gland produces hormones that make us awake and active and get the circulation going.
If a patient produces too many thyroid hormones due to hyperthyroidism, this can be the cause of an excessive systole. Another cause of too high a systole can be due to a kidney disorder. In this case one often speaks of so-called renal hypertension, in which too many hormones, such as renin, are produced.
This leads to a narrowing of the blood vessels. This leads to increased resistance in the vessels, which means that the blood has to be pumped through the vessels with greater force. This results in increased systole, as the heart has to exert greater force to pump the blood into the aorta.
Diastole, however, is usually normal in renal hypertension. A disease in which the systole is too high and the diastole is too low is called age-related hypertension. This phenomenon is often observed especially in older age.This is due to the fact that blood vessels become increasingly stiff and inelastic with age.
The heart must therefore exert enormous force to pump the blood from the heart into the stiff vessels, which increases systole. At the same time, less blood flows to the heart, which results in a reduction in diastole. So if a patient suffers from too high a systole while the diastole is too low, it is probably a case of so-called old-age high pressure.
Psychological processes can also have an effect on blood pressure. Especially anger, stress and anxiety cause blood pressure to rise rapidly through the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. In the case of permanent stress, a permanently increased hormone level occurs and the hormones are no longer broken down.
As a result, the systolic blood pressure remains elevated. Further causes can be: A pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal medulla) or a brain tumor can also be causes of high blood pressure in rare cases.
- Hyperaldosteronism: In this case, for example, increased aldosterone is released due to damage to the adrenal cortex.
Aldosterone is a hormone that is responsible for the reabsorption of sodium and water in the kidney, which causes blood pressure to rise. If it is released in increased quantities, blood pressure remains permanently elevated.
- Acromegaly: A tumor in the pituitary gland can lead to increased secretion of growth hormones. In addition to excessive growth, these lead to a reduced excretion of water and sodium. This increases the blood volume and blood pressure.
- Cushing’s syndrome: The consequence of this syndrome is the increased production of the stress hormone cortisol. This also increases blood pressure.
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