Patient was educated on risk factors and causes for secondary hypertension as follows:
- Coronary artery disease
- Elevated triglycerides and bad cholesterol can result in inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels and coronary artery disease. This can result in deposition of plaque, thus narrowing the blood vessel lumen.
- Narrowed blood vessels offer more resistance for blood flow, thus increasing the pressure, contributing to hypertension.
- Valvular heart disorders
- Normal functioning of valves in the heart is needed for smooth and orderly pumping of blood from one chamber to the next and out into the circulation.
- Defective valves, such as, in individuals with history of aortic stenosis, can obstruct this smooth pumping of blood, resulting in increased back-up of blood in the heart chambers.
- This obstruction to blood flow with increased back-up, increases the workload on the heart, forcing the heart to work harder.
- Increased workload on the heart increases the blood pressure, resulting in hypertension.
