Contents:
- Medical Video: High Blood Pressure | Hypertension | Nucleus Health
- Why do you need to do a blood test for hypertension?
- What blood test should I do?
- Lipid profile (blood fat level)
- Magnesium level
- Gout level
- Level of urine protein (albumin)
- Potassium level
- Creatinine level
- Glucose level
- Check inflammation
Medical Video: High Blood Pressure | Hypertension | Nucleus Health
High blood pressure (hypertension) often does not cause any symptoms, so the only way to find out if you have hypertension is to check your blood pressure. Not only that, the doctor may also recommend you to do a blood test to monitor your blood pressure.
Why do you need to do a blood test for hypertension?
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or if you are told you are at risk of developing high blood pressure, then there is an important blood test that will be notified by your doctor to help monitor your high blood pressure.
The test will help doctors know what causes high blood pressure experienced, from lack of nutrition to fat buildup.
These two factors not only increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, but also the reason why your blood pressure is very difficult to treat. This test is also important for evaluating other organs in the body that can be affected by blood pressure.
What blood test should I do?
As explained above, a blood test is usually done to help monitor your blood pressure. There are several blood test indicators that your doctor needs to ensure your blood pressure is well controlled. Some of these indicators include:
Lipid profile (blood fat level)
Cholesterol moves through the blood and attaches to protein. Cholesterol and protein are called lipoproteins. Analysis of lipoprotein (lipoprotein profile or lipid profile) aims to measure blood levels of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
This examination is done to see the risk of atherosclerosis (fat buildup in blood vessels) which can make blood vessels stiffer so that blood pressure gets higher. The high lipid profile can also indicate the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Magnesium level
Magnesium is one of the important minerals that the body needs. Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 biological processes that occur in the body, including digestion, communication between nerve cells, movement of the muscles, to help keep blood vessels flexible. Try to keep blood magnesium levels at least 2.2-2.3 in the mg / dL range.
Gout level
High levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) can not only cause gout or gout. Because the high uric acid levels are associated with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome which directly increases the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Hyperuricemia is also associated with the risk of congestive heart failure, which is a complication of untreated high blood pressure. In general, gout levels provide a general guide to the health of your cells.
Level of urine protein (albumin)
Many doctors, including cardiologists, will do this urine test. If you have diabetes, you may be used to checking protein levels in your urine. The doctor will do this test in every person with high blood pressure even if they don't have diabetes.
The reason is that increasing protein levels in urine is an indirect way of checking blood vessels or blood health. The presence of protein in urine is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and high blood pressure.
Potassium level
Potassium is an important mineral called electrolyte. As an electrolyte, potassium has a role to maintain fluid balance in the body and control blood pressure. Potassium is also important for maintaining the function of the muscles and nerves that control the heart. Under normal conditions, blood potassium levels range from 3.5 to 5 mEq / L.
Creatinine level
Creatinine levels in the blood reflect how well your kidneys work. High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney disease, while diabetes is the main cause.
Glucose level
Normal blood glucose level is 70-100 g / L. This test is important for two reasons. First, a blood glucose level of more than 126 mg / dL at two examinations is one sign that someone has diabetes. Second, glucose levels between 100-126 are the criteria for a condition called impaired fasting glucose (IFG).
IFG is associated with insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome (higher than normal uric acid levels) which all increase the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Check inflammation
Two common tests that can determine inflammation are erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR also called sed levels) and C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP has also been used to determine your risk of heart disease. High CRP levels increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease.
