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Mette Maja Mouritsen
Mette Maja Mouritsen

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Are you burdened by the blood pressure?


We often speak about the blood pressure, if it is too high or too low. It's somehow strange in this new world of changes, a bit like measuring elastic by the meter, as the blood pressure is highly variable.

To assess whether something is too high, it must be compared with something, which is stable. But it is rather difficult to find a blood pressure that is stable. It is just as changeable as the pressure that occurs if we press on a water hose. The water pressure is high where the hose is compressed, and the water pressure is lower at the end, where the water flows freely. But it is not entirely determined by the external pressure on the hose, the pressure also depends on the elasticity of the hose and the entire system of the water pump.

Similarly, there are many considerations to take in account in a human body, when we call a blood pressure too high or too low, like what do we compare the blood pressure with? Is it our own system or the neighbour or a completely unknown person? And what is basically normal for us? It is impossible to give an exact answer, as the blood pressure depends on our weight and changes by our state of being, such as physical activity, anger, laughter, excitement, tensions visible or less visible, many different factors makes our blood pressure rise and fall.

But why do we then care about a blood pressure? It comes from studies of different people who had a specific value of blood pressure and a simultaneously incident such as a stroke or heart failure. How the two incidents occurred simultaneously within them is not know. We do not know their story, like what were “squeezing on their water hose”, and why their system could not stand it that specific day.

Cause to these kinds of studies are many people receiving preventive treatment for their blood pressure. The theory is that the medicine will prevent stroke, heart failure and death, through reduction of the blood pressure. But it is an illusion, because we do not know in advance whether we are going to suffer or die by our blood pressure value, or something else and either not if it helps specifically in our complex system and life situation. There may be multiple other factors, which leads to stroke, heart failure and death. So how many different pills should we take in preventing a theoretical probability of the occurrence of a specific incident? It is quite troublesome to think about.

Many people do already get several different medications in addition to blood thinners and cholesterol-lowering drugs. And how do the different pills interact together in their system? Many dare not to stop or try a pill-break, as the blood pressure probably increases. And it probably will eventually transiently or because of the fear of the act itself. So it takes courage not to receive a given advice about preventive medication. And what is it exactly that we prevent or in fact avoid to relate to, by taking preventive lifelong medication?

Maybe we could examine whether there is something in our lives, we could change so to be less burdened in our system? And if we finally experience complete peacefulness in our system*, may we then be able to measure a normal stable value for our own unique blood pressure? No, of course not, as we humans will sooner or later move on, and so does the blood pressure. It is about finding a personal balance between rest and activity, physical and mental, and accepting each of our different blood pressure throughout the day, year and lifetime.

So do not unnecessarily be burdened by your present blood pressure, perhaps you should even not measure it without a specific reason?

* Complete peacefulness, here as peace of mind, body and emotion

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