Hypertension: More Soldiers die from silent killer than from combat

FORT HOOD, Texas, June 7, 2011 -- Many people think that combat is the most life threatening event for Soldiers, when actually more Soldiers may die off the battlefield fighting a common enemy.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Between 70 and 89 percent of sudden cardiac events occur in men, and as part of Men’s Health Awareness Week June 13 through 17, 2011, the medical professionals at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center want to make sure male beneficiaries know the best way to help reduce their risk.

There are several risk factors affecting heart disease. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the leading cause of stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

Hypertension has been labeled "the silent killer" because there are no symptoms. It may remain unnoticed for many years.

A significant number of Soldiers are affected by hypertension, according to the Department of Defense's 2008 Survey of Health Related Behaviors. Approximately 17 percent of Soldiers have reported high blood pressure since they entered the Army.

Another 1.7 percent said they never had the condition checked, and 12.7 percent reported they didn't know or remember what their blood pressure was.

“Hypertension definitely affects the readiness of our troops. Once a Soldier is diagnosed with hypertension, our goal is to get it under control and manageable so he can deploy,” said Maj. (Dr.) Alcario Serros, chief of Internal Medicine at Darnall. “The majority of the time, cases can be controlled through intervention, either with medication and/or lifestyle changes.”

The key is in the diagnosis, Serros said, and fortunately for Soldiers, they have a much better chance of detecting hypertension early as they have better access to care. Soldiers are required to have a physical every year, and blood pressure checks are done at every appointment and during the pre-deployment process.

Blood pressure is measured as systolic, when the heart beats while pumping blood, and diastolic, when the heart is at rest between beats.

A normal blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mmHg. Pre-hypertension is diagnosed with readings of 120-139/80-89 mmHg and hypertension is diagnosed with readings greater than 140/90 mmHg. Higher readings are more serious, and usually require immediate intervention.

There are a number of causes of hypertension, but in 90 percent of the cases, the causes are unknown. There are several medical conditions and lifestyle choices that are known to increase a person's risk to hypertension. Most risk factors are controllable, while factors such as age and genetics are not.

Risk factors that can be controlled include cigarette smoking, poor diet, unhealthy weight/obesity, lack of physical activity and excessive alcohol use. Sleep apnea (breathing stop during sleep) is also a known cause of hypertension.

Stress is another known risk factor, and unfortunately for Soldiers, combat stress has been linked to hypertension. According to research reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association, "combat exposure may exert long-term adverse effects on cardiovascular health.”