After 40 or 50 years of age, couples who live together for a long time build a shared world that includes family, friends, hobbies and also – unfortunately – health problems. In particular, it is likely to share those ailments that are preventable and are linked to lifestyle habits, such as obesitythe diabetes and the hypertension arterial.
Now, one new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Associationthe magazine of the American Heart Association, confirmed this statement and revealed that there is a significant relationship in the prevalence of arterial hypertension between spouses of couples over 50 years old in USA, England, China and India.
The study indicated that if one of the partners has high blood pressureit is likely that the other also has it, this trend being more marked in China and India due to cultural factors and the value placed on family time.
Hypertension is called blood pressure in the blood vessels too high (140/90 mmHg or more). High blood pressure is the main risk factor to suffer a cardiovascular disease.
In October, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned about the worrying increase in cases of hypertension Worldwide. In his first report on the global impact on hypertension, he noted that the numbers of people affected by this condition rose from 650 million to 1.3 billion in the period from 1990 to 2019.
Furthermore, since it does not produce symptoms in most cases, it is a underdiagnosed diseasesince, according to WHO estimates, 46% of hypertensive adults are unaware that they suffer from this condition.
consulted by Infobaethe doctor Oscar Mendiz, director of the Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery of the Favaloro Foundation University Hospital He specified that hypertension is not contagious, but some risk factor’s that predispose to its appearance are usually shared among people who live together, couples or family members.
This means that as the time shared in a couple or family extends, a common environmentwith its own guidelines feeding, physical activity, sleep routines etc This does not imply that the health of each member of the couple is always a mirror of the other, but it does mean that the common universe is fertile ground for the benefits – or risk factors associated – of daily behaviors.
“Hypertension is highly prevalentit is estimated that one in four older adults is hypertensive, therefore it is easy for one to meet another hypertensive person. What I do consider to be “contagious” – in quotes, of course – is the Lifestyle. This means that one has a way of eating, a way of sleeping, a way of relating to life and carrying out activities, which in couples is usually shared throughout the years. years“explained Dr. Mendiz.
The high consumption of sodium (whether as table salt or in ultra-processed foods), the low consumption of fruits and vegetablesabusive alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity are the main risk factors for hypertension, according to the WHO.
The study of the American Heart Association performed an analysis on data from 3,989 American couples, 1,086 English, 6,514 Chinese, and 22,389 Indian couples, observing that in England the prevalence of hypertension in pairs it was approximately 47%in USA of the 38%in China of the twenty-one% and in India of the twenty%.
According to the survey, wives married to hypertensive husbands showed a greater probability of suffering from the same condition, highlighting an increase in 26% in China. The studies were based on household surveys and blood pressure measurements, considering hypertension at systolic pressures greater than 140 mm Hg or diastolic pressures greater than 90 mm Hg.
“Ours is the first study to examine the relationship between high blood pressure in couples from high- and middle-income countries. “We wanted to know if many married couples who often have the same interests, living environment, lifestyle habits, and health outcomes can also share high blood pressure,” said study co-senior author Dr. Jithin Sam Varghese, assistant professor of research at the Emory Global Diabetes Institute Research Center Emory University in Atlanta, USA.
“We were surprised to discover that, among many older couples, both husband and wife had high blood pressure in the US, England, China and India. For example, in the United States, more than 35% of couples aged 50 or older both had hypertension,” said lead author Chihua Li, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan.
The authors suggested that in societies with a strong family cohesionwhere social activities and daily dinners or lunches are shared, the common lifestyle increases the probability that both members of the couple will suffer from cardiovascular disorder.
“High blood pressure is more common in the US and England than in China and India, however, the association between partners’ blood pressure status was stronger in China and India than in the US and England . One reason could be cultural. “In China and India there is a strong belief in staying together as a family, so couples could have more influence on each other’s health,” said the study’s co-author. Peiyi Lufrom the Mailman School of Public Health Columbia University.
Mendiz pointed out to Infobae that it is less common to find a couple in which “one of the members is very healthy – whether in diet, playing sports, keeping their body weight stable – and the other is not”.
According to the cardiologist, if one of the members controls the risk factor’s It is likely that both do it, in the same sense it is common observe couples in which both members do not combat the associated cardiovascular risks and preventable, such as obesity, diabetes, etc. “I think that’s really the cause that needs to be addressed. On the other hand, with changes in times, it would be good for us to demystify the idea that obesity is a stigmatization. Obesity is a disease and we must combat it. This without stigmatization. And hypertension is the same, it is a disease, we have to fight it, we have to prevent it and we have to treat it.
“This is a very well-developed investigation, beyond its limitations. He evaluated heterosexual people living under the same roof. They found a statistically significant association. Based on the results, blood pressure could be measured in a person with hypertension and include the couple. Then, cases could be detected earlier, treated and measures to change habits could be applied as a way to reduce the mortality rate from hypertension,” he told Infobae Nicholas Rennacardiologist, president of the Argentine Society of Arterial Hypertension (SAHA) and teacher of the National University of Cuyo, when the American Heart Association study was known.
Thus, the research highlights the importance of the family environment in the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, and proposes reconsidering the individualistic perspective usually adopted in addressing public health policies regarding this condition. The researchers invite us to evaluate the sociological factors surrounding each patient. The relevance of this study lies in the impact of hypertension as one of the main modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.
The cardiologist and president of the Stress Section of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), Daniel López Rosetti explained in Infobae that blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of blood vessels. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is expressed with two numbers, such as 120/70 mm Hg.
“Blood pressure should be less than 140 millimeters of mercury as maximum or systolic, and less than 90 millimeters of mercury as a minimum, or diastolic. That is to say, 14-9, but doctors always try to keep it a little lower than that, the ideal is not to exceed 13.5-8.5. Therefore, if you are already 90 or 140, it is advisable to consult a doctor,” added López Rosetti.