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QHHL 
Uncontrolled medical conditions today can define your future. Here’s how small health risk factors today will become large problems tomorrow.
Everyone thinks they have time to do things later. You’re relatively healthy today, so why worry? There’s always more time to fix things later, when they become a problem. This is a common way to think. But the truth is that time can run out faster than you think. If you have small health risk factors now, they might bother you a little. But if you don’t fix them, you might find yourself with major health problems in the future.
People don’t usually get sick overnight. There are several health conditions that are only a little troubling on their own but can turn into more. You may be able to ignore health risk factors like hypertension. But if they aren’t treated, the consequences can be devastating. There are several reasons why you may ignore certain health problems. These include:
These excuses are barriers to your good health. What you do now determines your health not only in the near future, but in the long term. So, the health risk factor that you ignore today could define your life in a few years.
Hypertension is usually symptomless in the early stages. If you don’t monitor your health risk factors or go to the doctor, you could be completely unaware of it. This is a serious problem because hypertension is a killer. And it can continue silently for years until the consequences appear.
Some of the conditions linked to hypertension are:
This last one is a fairly new realization. Medical scientists are just starting to understand the role that hypertension has in dementia and memory problems.
A recent study was performed to test the link between dementia and hypertension. This is important because dementia is a growing problem in the modern world. It affects over 47 million people worldwide and these numbers are expected to increase over time.
The study just confirmed what the researchers expected from this health risk. People with high blood pressure in mid and later life were at greater risk of dementia in later life. The researchers compared these rates with those of participants who stayed in a healthy blood pressure range. The risk of dementia was also higher in participants who had hypertension in midlife and low blood pressure later.
The nature of this link isn’t understood. Medical professionals don’t know if there’s a causal relationship between dementia and hypertension. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of the results or what you should do in response.
This study shows that you need to be concerned if you have hypertension. Blood pressure patterns across your life are important in determining your health risk. If you keep your blood pressure under control during middle age, it will lower your risk of cognitive decline in later years.
Self-monitoring your blood pressure and other health measurements over time is the best way to identify early problems. And this will decrease your health risk in the short and the long term.
If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: health risk, hypertension, dementia
