A New Outlook on Hypertension (Avicenna’s Viewpoints)

Regarding the increasing prevalence of hypertension and its associated disabilities, it is beneficial for physicians to build on the potential of other medical schools like Persian medicine (PM) as it can provide useful knowledge of the factors leading to hypertension by identifying its pathogenesis in another medical attitude. Thus, the present study aimed at applying a strategy to prevent and treat hypertension.

The current qualitative brief report was initiated by reviewing valid databases. Subsequently, the risk factors of hypertension were extracted using keywords such as “hypertension”, “high blood pressure”, “prevalence”, “epidemiology”, and “predisposing and risk factors”. Then, each of these factors was conceptually matched to the fundamentals (4 qualities or Mizaj) of PM by Avicenna in his book named “The Canon of Medicine.

The known risk factors of hypertension were prone to occur in an individual before the onset of clinical hypertension due to his/her increased coldness (six items) and increased dryness (seven items). Given a few reports taking hypertension more associated with the warmth quality, it is probable that the patients with hypertension have a basically warm temperament, but they experience hypertension upon encountering with factors that result in increased coldness and dryness.

Overall, the etiology and pathogenesis of hypertension can be better understood according to four qualities in PM. Therefore, hypertension is preventable in risky people by making modifications in lifestyle, and hence, changes in body qualities and orientation toward a relatively balanced state.