Etiology of essential arterial hypertension: pathogenic nutrition

• Protasov E.A.

Abstract

Theoretical substantiation of essential hypertension etiology is a weak point of modern medical science. However, the available information allows us to suggest that the cause of this pathology may be individual food factors: increased consumption of sodium and dietary cholesterol. We can offer a pathogenetic hypothesis based on the fact that the increase in blood pressure is not a separate disease, but a response corrective reaction of the cardiovascular system to the occurrence of hypoperfusion site in any organ or any part of the organ. Hypoperfusion is a consequence of stenosis in arterial vessels. There are 2 main causes of stenosis which have different etiology and pathogenesis: atherosclerosis, affecting large and medium arteries and hyalinosis causing stenosis of small arterial vessels. Atherosclerosis, as a result of the deposition of cholesterol on the inner surface of the arteries, is most likely a consequence of an imbalance of cholesterol due to its excessive dietary intake. Vascular hyalinosis is a consequence of the consumption of excessive amounts of sodium in the form of table salt which leads to an increase in the volume of circulating blood, stretching the walls of arterioles, increasing their permeability and penetration of plasma proteins under the endothelium which are then converted into hyaline narrowing the vascular lumen. These processes can evolve independently from each other, but acting synergistically. The clinical manifestation in both cases will be an increase in blood pressure. Clinical trials have shown that if the cause of arterial hypertension is eliminated, then it regresses. Dietetic intervention in this case is an etiotropic, affordable, safe, cheap method of treatment and prevention of essential hypertension. The main obstacle to use this method is the psychological attitudes of both patients and doctors. It is necessary to conduct additional research in the field of non-drug methods of prevention and treatment of essential hypertension in order to improve them and increase their efficiency.

Keywords:arterial hypertension, diet, nutrition, etiology, atherosclerosis, hyalinosis

All articles in our journal are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0 license)