Healthcare Opportunity

25% of adult visitors and 18% of children and adolescents blood pressure were monitored in the tents of the provincial Health Ministry installed on the Atlantic coast, had high blood pressure.

The controls are part of the 12 / 8 of the health portfolio, which seeks to inform, prevent and control hypertension, a disease is the leading cause strokes and major risk factors for disability and death from cardiovascular disease.

Since the beginning of the season seven tents 12 / 8 where a nurse takes the pressure for free, are installed in Mar del Plata (two in the center and a spa in Punta Mogotes 12), San Bernardo, Santa Teresita, Villa Gesell, Miramar and Necochea.

Of the 2493 adults who were monitored by 25% (624 visitors) had elevated blood pressure, while that of the 153 under 18 controlled, 18% (28 children) showed values ​​above those considered normal, ie above 120 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic, commonly named as 12 / 8.

“This year we add the control of hypertension in children and adolescents because, as in adults, the disease is usually asymptomatic, however, marks an increased cardiovascular risk in adulthood,” said provincial health minister, Alejandro Collia during a luncheon at the Club de Mar del Plata Motonáutica shared with Chief of Staff Alberto Perez, and journalists from national and regional media. Collia added that “early detection is key and monitored regularly by pediatricians.”

He clarified that “a control on the high values ​​are detected does not mean the guy is hypertensive.” However, we must make further consultations with the doctor and was only able to make a diagnosis when the result repeat the anomaly about 3 or 4 times.

What to do

Once diagnosed, hypertension in children and adolescents dietary habits required to maintain a healthy weight, regular physical activity and the elimination of salt in foods.

“In the case of boys, hypertension is often a symptom of other diseases so that pediatricians must seek the cause,” said Director of Pathology Prevalent provincial health ministry, Ricardo Lopez Santi. And he clarified that it is often a result of renal or glandular require specific treatment.

The specialist also explained that high values ​​found in the youngest kids can treat and prevent hypertension in time, among other conditions, a condition called left ventricular hypertrophy, which often lead frame is characterized by hypertension and increasing the size of the left ventricular muscle mass.

“Hypertension is the heart and lifting weights at the biceps,” Santi López plotted. This means that if left untreated, over the years, resulting in increased heart size.

On the other hand, experts say, children with hypertension are more likely to have hardened arteries when they reach adulthood. If this is added another risk factor such as smoking, the outlook is more bleak, because it increases the chances of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or strokes.

Prevention in summer

Umbrellas in which blood pressure measurements are part of the health portfolio strategy for the province in health prevention during the holidays.

The idea, he explained, is to use the relaxation time of year that many times, “serves to reflect on the health status and the need to adopt healthy habits that improve the quality of life.”

For this, the provincial Health Ministry set up two tents health in Mar del Plata and seven umbrellas 12 / 8 divided between Mar del Plata, San Bernardo, Santa Teresita, Villa Gesell, Miramar and Necochea.

They take the pressure and provide information to control hypertension. In each tent care, while there is a health circuit with six stations for measuring weight and height, blood pressure, blood glucose and spirometry. Also outside the tents and correcaminatas physically active.