In nature, butterflies move their wings gently, possibly causing a tornado in a distant place, which is the magical “butterfly effect”. And in the area of health, our way of life, like that butterfly, which appears to be a minor change or bad habit, could cause a huge “health storm” in the development of hypertension and kidney disease.
I. STANDING: Silent “Health Killer”
In the modern world, many people live a long life. Sitting at a desk for long periods of time, obsessed with electronic screens or relying on means of transport to reduce walking opportunities, seemingly comfortable living patterns are indeed “hotbeds” for hypertension and kidney disease. When we sit there, the metabolism of the body slows down, the blood cycle slows down, like the silt piles in the river and the water flow slows down. This leads to the accumulation of excess fats, sugars, etc. in the body, the gradual increase in body weight and the ensuing problems of obesity. Obesity is one of the major risk factors for hypertension, which increases the burden on the heart and the pressure on the vascular wall, which in turn triggers high blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, has a negative effect on the kidney, which, as noted above, can result in long-term high blood pressure that can damage the kidney’s veins, affect the normal filtration function of the kidney and eventually lead to kidney disease. Studies have shown that the risk of hypertensive and kidney disease is much higher among people who lack exercise and sit for a long time than among those who move regularly. For example, a survey of office staff found that high blood pressure rates of up to 30 per cent for people who sit for more than eight hours a day and have little or no exercise habits, and that about 20 per cent of them already have early symptoms of various degrees of kidney damage.
Staying up late and stress: Body time bomb
In a fast-paced modern life, working late hours, entertainment and prolonged high stress have become the norm for many. However, the impact of these adverse lifestyles on hypertension and kidney disease cannot be minimized. The night should have been the time for physical rest and restoration, but it would have disrupted the body ‘ s biological clock and affected its endocrine system. The body is subject to excessive adrenaline and cortisol stress hormones, which are like a double-edged sword, which can increase blood pressure on the one hand and interfere with normal kidney metabolic and regulating functions on the other. Long-term stress states can have a similar effect, as if a “time bomb” had been installed on the body, which could trigger a “crisis” of hypertension and kidney disease at any time. For example, the incidence of hypertension and kidney disease is significantly higher among those working in high-intensity jobs who often stay up late, such as health-care workers, programmers, etc. They tend to be subject to high working stress, chronic stress, unbalanced self-regulating mechanisms of their bodies, and the kidneys gradually lose normal functioning in this bad environment, from changes in the original urine composition to abnormal kidney function indicators, one step at a time towards the “deep abyss” of kidney disease.
Poor eating habits: Healthy “chronic poison”
There is a inextricable link between diet and hypertension and kidney disease, and poor eating habits are like healthy “chronic poisons” that evaporate the body unconsciously. High salt diets are one of the “problems” of high blood pressure, and excessive salt intake can leave sodium water in the body, increase blood capacity and increase blood pressure. The kidney, as an important organ for regulating the water-salt balance, is chronically under high salt loads, with an increasing burden, which may eventually lead to damage to the kidney function. In addition, over-ingestion of high-fat and sugary foods can cause obesity, blubber abnormalities and increased blood sugar, which indirectly affect blood pressure and kidney function. For example, the long-term high-fat, sugary foods such as fried foods, sweets and beverages are prone not only to hypertension, but also increase the risk of kidney diseases such as diabetes. As these foods lead to increased insulin resistance in the body, high blood sugar volatility, and pathological changes in kidney microvasculars in high sugar conditions, affecting normal blood injection and filtration in the kidneys.
Smoking and drinking: a dangerous “health trap”
Smoking and drinking are “options” for many to socialize or relieve stress, yet they create a dangerous “health trap” for hypertension and kidney disease. Harmful substances such as nicotine in tobacco can cause blood pressure to rise by constricting and reducing the elasticity of the vascular wall. At the same time, smoking affects the renal blood cycle, reduces renal blood flow, reduces renal filtration, perpetuates the renal ischaemic oxygen and accelerates the progress of renal diseases. The same applies to drinking, where overdrinking can cause sharp fluctuations in blood pressure, where alcohol and its metabolites are toxic to kidney cells, damage kidney tubes and kidney balls, and cause diseases such as renal inflammation and fibrosis. There has been a significant increase in the risk of hypertension and alcohol renal diseases among chronically large populations. For example, studies have shown that people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day and drink more than 50 grams of alcohol have more than 40 per cent combined with high blood pressure and kidney disease, and tend to be more serious and more difficult to treat.
V. Physical exercise: Opening healthy “gold keys”
In contrast to the above-mentioned bad lifestyle, regular exercise is the “gold key” that opens the door to health and is of great importance for the prevention and control of hypertension and kidney disease. Appropriate exercise helps to reduce blood pressure by promoting blood circulation, enhancing heart function and making blood vessels more resilient. For example, a mid-intensity aerobic exercise of at least 150 minutes per week, such as runaways, jogging, swimming, etc., can effectively improve the internal vascular function, reduce vascular inflammation and reduce the risk of hypertension. In the case of kidneys, the movement can increase the flow of blood in the kidneys, promote metabolism in the kidneys, help the kidneys to remove toxins and waste from the body and maintain normal kidney functions. Sport can also help to control weight, reduce the health risks associated with obesity and further reduce the incidence of hypertension and kidney disease.
The effect of lifestyle on hypertension and kidney disease, like the “butterfly effect”, which appears to be a small daily habit, can trigger a series of chain reactions within the body, leading to serious health problems. Therefore, we should be fully aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, by avoiding undesired habits such as inaction, late nights, bad diets, smoking and drinking, and by actively participating in physical exercise, so that the “butterfly” of the way of life can fan a healthy “wind” rather than a “storm” that causes disease, so as to avoid the threat of high blood pressure and kidney disease and embrace a healthy and better life.
