High Blood Pressure & Atrial Fibrillation: Stroke Risk & Link | am730

The three highs (high blood sugar, high blood lipids and high blood pressure) are one of the causes of atrial fibrillation (atrial fibrillation), because the three highs will increase the burden on the heart and cause the atria to enlarge, thereby increasing the chance of atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is one of the common symptoms of arrhythmia. Patients have irregular heartbeats that affect blood circulation. Part of the blood may accumulate in the heart and form blood clots. When the blood clots travel to the brain, they may cause cerebrovascular obstruction and cause cardiogenic stroke. Although some patients with atrial fibrillation will have obvious symptoms such as palpitations, tachycardia, breathlessness during exercise, and swollen feet, many patients have no symptoms, making it difficult to detect early. It is not until complications such as stroke or heart failure occur that the cause of atrial fibrillation is discovered.

According to a survey by the World Health Organization, stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability in the world. On average, 1 in 4 people may be affected by stroke. Strokes can have extremely serious consequences, leading to death or severe disability. In Hong Kong, stroke ranks as the fourth “fatal killer”, with 2,911 people dying from stroke last year. Among the many risk factors for stroke, atrial fibrillation is one of the main ones. Atrial fibrillation may occur suddenly or intermittently, and the timing of the onset is difficult to predict. Data also shows that the age of onset of stroke has been on a downward trend in recent years, and even young people in their twenties and thirties may have a chance of suffering a stroke. The risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is five times higher than that of the general population. About 30% of ischemic stroke cases in Hong Kong are caused by atrial fibrillation, and its severity and mortality rate are the highest among all causes of ischemic stroke. However, many people do not have enough knowledge about atrial fibrillation or do not take it seriously. When symptoms of stroke appear, it may be too late.

Stroke may cause inability to take care of oneself. Regular home testing to reduce risk

Stroke can lead to death or severe disability. Nearly 40% of patients will suffer from symptoms including hemiplegia, incontinence of urine and feces, slurred speech, visual disturbance, crooked mouth, crossed eyes, drooling, difficulty swallowing and coma. They will lose the ability to take care of themselves and seriously affect their quality of life. In addition to improving their living habits and conducting regular health check-ups, patients with three highs can also develop the habit of regularly monitoring health data at home, which can help early detection and prevention of complications caused by atrial fibrillation, especially the serious consequences of stroke and heart failure. Because atrial fibrillation rarely has obvious symptoms, it is difficult to identify it by feeling alone. It is recommended that people at high risk of atrial fibrillation, including those over 65 years old, those with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, lung disease, thyroid disease and sleep apnea, can regularly measure their pulse or electrocardiogram at home so that they can be accurately diagnosed and treated early to reduce these risks and improve the prognosis.

Introducing AI analysis to remind high-risk individuals to seek medical treatment early

Electronic sphygmomanometers in the market can detect irregular heartbeats, but a heartbeat that is too fast or too slow is an irregular heartbeat and does not mean that the user has atrial fibrillation. Omron’s Bluetooth arm blood pressure monitor HEM-7383T1 introduces AI* analysis technology. Users can analyze the possibility of atrial fibrillation in one step by simply pressing a button. When the risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib) is found, a prompt will be displayed immediately. It adopts a highly intelligent 360° induction armband to improve accuracy; it can be easily worn with one hand; with Intellisense technology, the injection strength can be automatically adjusted according to the user’s condition, making the measurement process even more comfortable. The relevant measurement data will also be recorded through the app. The product is clinically certified^ with an accuracy of 97%# and has been certified by the US FDA※, which is good news for those who are concerned about cardiovascular health!