The Silent Killer Hypertension? Real Signals from Your Body That the Blood Pressure Monitor Does Not Tell You

Modern medicine scientifically supports the delicate observations shown by the pulse theory of the Donguibogam. Hypertension is not simply an issue of vessel pressure; it is a complex outcome that appears when our body's exquisite regulatory system breaks down. In particular, although essential hypertension is known to occur without a specific cause, it can actually be regarded as the ultimate lifestyle disease resulting from the long-term accumulation of lifestyle habits such as stress, a westernized diet, and a lack of exercise. One of the most important factors is an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. When we experience stress, the sympathetic nerve becomes excessively activated, which constricts blood vessels and accelerates the heartbeat. Just as the Donguibogam viewed the wiry pulse as liver qi stagnation, in modern times this can be explained as a state of vascular tone caused by sympathetic hyperactivity. When this state becomes chronic, the vascular wall loses elasticity and stiffens, and blood pressure gradually increases. In addition, a hormonal regulatory system called the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system operates excessively, driving the rise in blood pressure. Furthermore, dysfunction of the vascular endothelial cells lining the innermost layer of blood vessels is also important. These cells secrete nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, but chronic inflammation, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia damage these endothelial cells, reducing nitric oxide production and stiffening the vessels. Just as the Donguibogam viewed a pulse becoming turbid and slow as the accumulation of waste inside the body, in modern times this can be understood as inflammatory substances or metabolic waste in the blood damaging vascular endothelial cells and turning vessels into rusted pipes. In this way, hypertension is not just a number on a blood pressure monitor, but an overall health issue where multiple layers of complex signals sent by our body converge. Therefore, from now on, rather than being swayed by the numbers on the monitor, we must begin practicing listening to our body's real signals.