Proper hypertension management can prevent and lower risk of illness, complications, even early death. It usually involves a simple combination of lifestyle modification and drug therapy, as necessary. “Hypertension patients who are prescribed drugs must consume them regularly, to complement their routine health checkups to doctors. Most hypertension medication is prescribed for long-term, or even lifetime use. This is because the therapy is meant to forcibly control blood pressure, keeping it within target levels, in order to extend life expectancy and reduce risk of complications. Therefore, it is best if you adopt a healthy lifestyle, from youth, before hypertension has any opportunity to set in,” dr. Djoko said.
Priority Program
Dr. dr. Antonia Anna Lukito, Sp.JP(K), Siloam Hospital specialist consultant for heart and blood vessel problems and person in charge of the “InaSH Guidelines to Hypertensionrelated Promotive and Preventive Efforts Manual”, declared that elimination of hypertension is a priority program and indicator in both the National MediumTerm Development Plan and the Ministry of Health 2022-2024 Strategic Plan.
“Hypertension is preventable through early detection and lifestyle change, modification which must be disseminated through community education. We need to disseminate and inculcate the importance of preventing hypertension in the first place and in controlling it, because it will greatly help prevent damage to specific organs resulting from complications. We can perform hypertension resistance promotion efforts in schools, workplaces, first level health facilities, and hospitals,” she declared. “Therefore, efforts to promote health and avoid the disease are extremely important.”
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Dr. Antonia went on to reiterate that the most important effort in hypertension prevention is the CERDIK program initiated by the Ministry of Health. Briefly, it consists of regular health checks, elimination of tobacco usage, regular physical activity of 150 minutes a week, a balanced diet, sufficient rest, and stress management. (est)