Can low platelets cause high blood pressure?

Have you ever Googled something and regretted it immediately? Like when you search for “why do my knees crack?” and the internet tells you that either you’re aging rapidly, or your bones about to snap into two (yay?). Yeah, we’ve all been there.

Today we’ll be discussing low platelet count and if it could cause high blood pressure because let’s face it; sometimes our body does some weird things that leave us questioning reality (like why do we have an appendix again?).

What are Platelets?

Platelets, also known as thrombocytes in scientific terms (yeah, scientists love using big words), are small cells present in our blood that prevent excessive bleeding by forming clots. They stick together to seal any injury or wound while allowing the body’s immune system cells to work on healing the affected area.

Keeping this tiny component of our circulation in check is fundamental because having too many or too few can drastically affect our health adversely.

What Causes Low Platelet Count?

Low platelet count, also known as Thrombocytopenia (we gotta sound smart here) happens when a person’s bone marrow produces fewer than normal amounts of these little guys. It can occur due to various reasons such as viral infections like dengue fever (not fun at all), certain medications (goodbye Advil), autoimmune diseases (fun times) like lupus erythematosus

It maybe also due to aplastic anemia where one’s bone marrow just stops producing new cells entirely (wouldn’t want to experience that now would we).

What is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)?

You may have heard people say they have high blood pressure but never really understood what it means other than them chugging down some pills with their morning coffee. The truth is, high blood pressure or hypertension occurs when the force of the blood pumping through your arteries is too strong. It numbers around 120/80 but can be higher in some individuals and lower in others.

It’s imperative to keep this condition under control because it increases one’s risk of developing heart diseases (Nobody wants that).

Is there any Connection between Low Platelets and Hypertension?

You might think: how on earth are these two things related? Well, let us connect the dots for you.

When we say low platelet count, what mostly comes to mind is bleeding disorders associated with it. However, research has shown that having thrombocytopenia may also increase a person’s chances of developing cardiovascular problems such as strokes or heart attacks due to abnormal clotting factors (not good folks).

Let us break down why:

  1. Platelets play an essential role in maintaining proper circulation by ensuring healthy endothelial dysfunction.
  2. Endothelial cells line our artery walls and continuously monitor its behavior; if they detect unhealthy changes within the vessels’ lining like inflammation or damage from injury/illnesses, they signal white blood cells released by platelets to come over quickly.
  3. If there aren’t enough active resting-state WBCs during recovery periods(as seen in people with low platelet counts), this signaling fails which leads progressively upregulated vascular tone (Wow that sounds fancy!).
  4. Meaning? Increased constriction along smaller arterial dimensions leading overall increased resistance causing symptoms observed clinically as elevated systolic/diastolic pressures i.e hypertension.

So yes! There could very well indeed be a connection between low platelet counts and high blood pressure.

Can Low Platelet Count Cause Hypertension?

The short answer -Yes- , provided adequate compensatory mechanisms fail to ensure vital organ perfusion (especially kidneys).

Now onto a longer explanation:

Platelet count, like many other aspects of the human body, exists within a range i.e., between 150,000-450,000 per microliter. When it falls below this accepted measurement (say- 100 k/µL) and remains there perpetually combined with unhealthy lifestyle patterns such as loneliness due to isolation during COVID lockdown (ugh we know you feel me here), poor diet routine leading to malnutrition deficiency of vital co-factors required for healthy platelet homeostasis (iron/folic acid/ vitB12) or even underlying chronic inflammatory diseases.

This deficient state can negatively impact our kidneys’ unique capacity that helps regulate blood pressure and water balance by secreting renin from specific renal cells called Juxtaglomerular apparatus. A low platelet count leads to abnormal clot formation in these kidney structures leading unruly Renin-Angiotensin system activation ultimately resulting in hypertension.

Symptoms

It’s essential to be aware of any changes in your health’s peculiar behavior so you can keep an eye on things earlier rather than later.

Let us arm you with some symptoms associated with Hypertension:

  1. Increasing systolic/diastolic blood pressures beyond recommended threshold limits reported at visits.
  2. Chest pain or discomfort
  3. Shortness of breath
  4. Headaches(we’re all too familiar with these sorry attendees!)
  5. Fatigue

The Bottomline

In conclusion, low platelets could lead to high blood pressure if critical mechanisms fail while trying to establish circulation stability again after various injuries or illnesses/be subjected regularly over time because they harbor symptoms quite similar yet obscure enough responses via adaptive collateral networks hidden day-to-day practices unwittingly affect short-term adjustments but show long-standing ill effects eventually; which not only makes matters complicated initially but harder yet is the potential harm under current knowledge progress.

So yeah! Get tested whenever possible(don’t be afraid to visit your doctor and follow safety protocols like mask wearing and social distancing) because no one wants their health to suffer the consequences of searching for medical answers on Google.

Good behavior Bad Behavior
Visiting doc whenever necessary Not visiting your physician regularly
Eating meals full of nutrients Lack of a Balanced diet
Practicing healthy coping Mechanisms (e.g, yoga/meditation)() Poor Coping Mechanisms (Over-indulgence in alcohol as stress relievers)

We hope this article was informative enough now that you have some idea if low platelets cause high blood pressure or not (don’t ask for too much from us. We’re all trying here!)

So until next time, people!

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