What causes blood pressure?
Patient: I am a 52 year old male. Have had heart ultrasound and stress test. Am healthy except for hereditary blood pressure that i have taken medication for for last 15 years. The doctor says the muscle in the middle of my heart is slightly thicker than normal and they want a better look. I am booked for a heart MRI on Nov 22 in Red Deer and a kidney angiogram Dec 12 in Calgary. Do you feel this is necessary and the proper way to go . Thank you Doctor: Hey,There are several causes of high bp.Considering some important and common causes1) Abnormal kidney function or blockage in the artery of kidney2) Abnormal thyroid function3) Most common at your age - Essential Hypertension, which does not have a cause & has a genetic predisposition. 4) Abnormal secretion from a gland of our body which is Adrenal or Suprarenal gland.The evaluation for all these needs some blood test like Thyroid Function test, kidney function test, test for adrenal gland and testing for blockage in the kidney artery which can be done through renal angiography or indirectly through renal Doppler. Renal angiography is considered better.Secondly increase in the muscle of the heart ( LVH- left vventricular hypertrophy) is a result of increased BP for a long time.Consider reducing salt in diet, stop smoking if u are doing so, do regular exercise & take medicine regularly.ThanksDr Sameer MaheshwariCardiologist, Fortis Hospital