“You have high blood pressure.” If you have heard that from you family doctor you know exactly what I’m speaking about. The worry, anxiety and concern now for actually having a “real” medical problem. What can be done? Do I need medication? What are the long term effects? All very common, real scenarios and concerns that are happening almost on a daily basis. WE HEAR YOU! Recently the Journal of the American Medical Association published a large study showing the rate of elevated blood pressure has significantly increased from 1990 to 2015 all over the world. Almost a billion people worldwide have systolic blood pressure above 140mmHg. In other words they have high blood pressure or hypertension. The projections are that this epidemic will only worsen with time.
Enough with the doom and gloom for one day, right? Why do we bring this up you ask? Great question with an even better answer. Here at Barix Clinics our main goal is for overall health, life and weight improvements. As many of you know and live with presently, high blood pressure is another medical issue that we deal with on a daily basis. The main concern with high blood pressure and other medical issues, such as diabetes, is the increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease and loss of life years. Obesity alone is a risk factor for developing such medical issues and direct cause for worsening as well.
As such, and as many of you have experienced, after bariatric surgery the tremendous improvement and normalization of high blood pressure issues. As some of our literature shows the improvement rate can be as high as or greater than 75% within that first year from surgery. Even before your surgery, for some patients, and definitely after, many of your home blood pressure medications are readjusted, reduced or even eliminated.
Most weight lost within the first 2-4 weeks after bariatric is retained water weight that is released during that initial metabolic process. This is the beginning of overall blood pressure improvement, resolution and thus decreasing cardiovascular risks. Now you’re asking “we know this, why discuss the topic?” Well just like stated above, there are close to a billion people around the world with high blood pressure. Just like the lives we have touch and improved over the years here at Barix Clinics, we want to continue that trend to help as many people as possible that deal with obesity, hypertension and any other medical issue that the bariatric surgery process can improve.
Here is to a great 2017 and continued success for all who enter this journey!
