Health Information Series

Hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure is known as “the silent killer.” At least 72 million Americans suffer from hypertension and as many as 20 million of them do not even know it. Untreated, high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke (or stroke).

The heart pumps blood through a network of arteries, veins and capillaries. The moving blood pushes against artery walls and this force is measured as blood pressure.

High blood pressure is caused by a narrowing of very small arteries called arterioles that regulate blood flow in the body. As these arterioles tighten (or contract), the heart has to work harder to pump blood through a smaller space, and the pressure inside the vessels grows.

Hypertension can affect health in four main ways:

* Hardening of the arteries. The pressure inside the arteries can increase the thickness of the muscles that line the walls of the arteries. This thickening narrows the arteries. If a blood clot blocking blood flow to the heart or brain, can cause a heart attack or stroke.

* Enlargement of the heart. High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder. As widely used all muscle, the heart enlarges. The larger the heart, the less able it is to maintain adequate blood flow. When this happens, you feel weak and tired and not able to exercise or physical activity. The heart has begun to fail under the strain. Without treatment, heart failure will worsen.

* Kidney damage. Prolonged high blood pressure can damage the kidneys if the arteries that irrigate affected.

* Eye damage. In diabetes, high blood pressure can cause the tiny capillaries in the retina of the eye to bleed. This condition, called retinopathy, can cause blindness.

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